Sonic Revolution
by Jif Choosy
Summary: Sonic has been framed of terroristic attacks and murdering his friend and rival, Knuckles. Now he must evade the cops, military, Knuckles' Chaotix gang, and a mysterious bounty hunter. Who did this to him and why? An epic fic you will not want to miss.
1. Prologue to Chapter 18

SONIC REVOLUTION  
  
Prologue  
  
The bus was headed to the stop at Vance Street. Leo O'Connell had two stops left before he was home. Home at last. It had been a while. Of course, this conflict wasn't nearly as long or taxing as the last Great War of Mobius, but nevertheless took him away from his family and friends. Although he was happy for that, it wasn't his main concern as he returned.  
  
The bus halted. A few other soldiers walked off the bus, mostly ones he didn't know. Those who he did know were so eager to get off that they didn't even notice him. There were still plenty of filled seats. The driver shut the door and drove off again.  
  
He was sure there would be some kind of celebration for his return. After all, he was the only male left in his nuclear family, and so far the only one in his extended family to survive both Mobius wars. His uncle, dad, cousin Sara and older brother James had been killed in either the first or second war.   
  
Another stop. Only two got off here, none of which he knew. Off they went. Leo would be getting off at the next stop.  
  
James had been listed as "missing in action" for quite some time. Leo figured the army had simply listed him as killed in action simply so they wouldn't have to keep sending recon teams out to find him. One of these days, Leo promised himself he would go back to Mobius and find him.  
  
The bus came to a stop again. Through the window on his side of the bus, he could see most of his relatives, including his mother, waiting for him.  
  
He rose, along with a few other troops. On his way out, his comrades bid adieu to him. "See ya next time, Blade." "Good job, Bladeage." "Later, Blade."   
  
Blade. The nickname he had received in the first war when his brother had gone missing. Only his weapon remained, the family treasure called the Fire Sabre. It was always given to the first-born of the family, male or female. The troops in his company brought it back to Leo after one of the earlier fights. The tradition didn't say who should get the sword should the first-born die before they have children, but Leo decided to start a new part of the tradition. He would take up the blade. In the last two wars, he was a driving force with the sword, known by other regiments as the warrior Red. Those who knew him just called him Blade. The big army joke was that Red and Blue (the other mysterious fighter in the wars) made violet and victories. Together, Red, Blue, and the Mobius army defeated the evil Dr. Ivo Eggman and his mechanized army not once, but twice.  
  
The cost was tremendous, though.  
  
Leo got off the bus to a wave of relatives, screams, and hugs. All that he had thought before left him. It was good to be home.  
  
But when the welcome home party had started, Leo got thinking again. He had to find out what had happened while he was gone. There were questions that needed to be answered, and his family wouldn't have him trouble in such "trivial" affairs when he had just gotten back from a war.  
  
Once he had slipped away from the celebration, he walked back into his house. His family wasn't incredibly rich-in fact, they had been poor for longer than Blade was even alive for-and the house was very small. So if something had come, he'd be able to find it fast. A confirmation, a letter, something to answer the burning question that had been bothering him ever since he returned from the first war.  
  
Flipping through some papers-bills, registration sheets, advertisements, magazines, birthday and holiday cards-Leo finally came upon the thing he had been looking for. And it wasn't what he had hoped. Expected, yes, in a way. But not hoped for.  
  
A typed letter in large font. Two pages long. Simple and to the point.  
  
I've got you're little miss with me. I want 50 million Mobians for her safe return. Otherwise, you won't have anyone to worry about next time you go fightin'. I've outwitted the police, and I have more firepower than them, anyway, so don't go crying to them or your military pals for help, either. Send the money through special shipping to the planet Mobius with the numbers 575830219 on the delivery line. I'm waiting, little Morphion.   
  
Of course, not everyone who fought in the Mobius war was from Mobius. Some came from its three moons. Leo had come from the largest one, Morphos.  
  
He knew he couldn't pay the ransom. 50 million Mobians was equivalent to $200 thousand, and his family wasn't exactly in good financial straits. And his lucky stone, which he had found while fighting, wouldn't cover the costs. He knew it was valuable, but it was no Chaos Emerald. He had to get Cassie back somehow. It looked like his fighting wasn't quite over yet. And a new career as a detective was about to start.  
  
But he couldn't just go out as Leo O'Connell. The kidnapper probably knew all about him, and if he knew he was snooping around, it was going to be a hell of a lot harder to catch him. He needed an alias.  
  
He didn't need to look much further than his holster to get it.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Fates Intertwine  
  
Like he usually did in his spare time, Sonic was on vacation. He was getting very cautious about his vacations in Capital City, though, usually because certain conflicts kept getting in the way of them. Like the last time, when he was arrested for crimes he didn't commit. Or the time before, when a blue monster named Chaos began terrorizing the city. Thus, he decided on somewhat of a road trip, except with running instead of a car. In a few days, he'd leave to find another vacation spot, away from the action and possible peril of the city.  
  
Sonic reclined on a beach chair far from the ocean. Although he loved the sun and sand, he couldn't stand the water. He wasn't sure why, but he guessed it might have to do with the fact that he couldn't swim. His shades flipped over his eyes and a cool lemonade at his side, he figured he was the coolest thing this beach had ever seen. And why not? With his spiked hair, sleek blue color, red high tops, and awesome demeanor, he must be the epitome of cool.  
  
He saw two girls walk in front of him-one human and one hedgehog, like himself. The blonde woman appeared to be about nineteen and sported a tight pink bikini and a gorgeous tan. The hedgehog woe a hat and sunglasses and a nice red bathing suit. Both were very easy on the eyes. Time to put some of that cool to work.  
  
Sonic strolled up to the ladies and stopped right behind them. By now, they had sat down and were talking to each other. When they didn't notice him by his presence alone, he tapped both of them on the shoulder. They both whirled around to face him.  
  
"Sorry to disturb you young ladies," Sonic said casually, "but I can't seem to see the ocean with your radiance in the way."  
  
"Oh," responded the woman. "We'll move if you'd like us to."  
  
Okay, Plan A didn't work. Let's go to Plan B, Sonic thought.  
  
"Oh no," he told her, "I wouldn't want your beautiful frames to be burdened with that kind of work."  
  
"Okay then." The woman turned away, reading a book. The hedgehog hadn't said anything or even moved, since he got there. Sonic was getting frustrated.  
  
"I really liked that one," he piped up to the woman reading the book. "Very intriguing," he added, having no clue what she was reading.  
  
The woman looked up again. "Are you lost?" she asked. Sonic could hear the hedgehog snicker, although he couldn't see her face.  
  
Instead of losing it, Sonic used the comment to his advantage. "Actually, I'm very lost in you," he said.  
  
The woman smiled. Sonic thought he had her. "Sorry blue boy, but I try to avoid dating outside my own species."  
  
Damn! He always got burned with that one. Shaking, he decided to play his last resort, albeit cheap, trump card. "You know who I am, don't you?"  
  
"Yes, of course I do."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well what? How many times do you have to be put down by one person? For a celebrity, you sure seem desperate."  
  
Sonic swore he had turned red by then. He wasn't sure of what, though-by anger or by embarrassment.  
  
"Could you leave?" the woman asked. "You're blocking my rays."  
  
"Grrr…." muttered Sonic as he walked off. He gathered his belongings and prepared to head back to the hotel. From behind him, though, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see the hedgehog from before.  
  
"Are you here to humiliate me further?" he asked. Then, he reconsidered. "Or would you like a nice dinner on the promenade tonight?"  
  
The girl took off her hat. That's weird, Sonic thought, he thought he had seen that red hair band before. Wait, now he remembered. Uh oh…  
  
The girl hedgehog took off her sunglasses to reveal a pair of green eyes all too familiar to him.  
  
"I'd love to!" squealed Amy.  
  
If Sonic was by himself then, you could bet a string of curses would be spouting from his mouth right about then.  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down Amy," Sonic insisted, but Amy wouldn't have it.  
  
"You asked me if I'd like a nice dinner on the promenade tonight, and I accepted. So when should I come over? Or were you going to pick me up?"  
  
Sonic couldn't believe the mess he had worked himself into. But Amy had him. For now.  
  
"Okay, Amy. Come to my apartment around 7:00 tonight. I'll be ready."  
  
"Alright, sweetie. See you tonight."  
  
"Don't forget to look your best, beautiful. But that wouldn't be too hard, would it?"  
  
Amy blushed a red brighter than her swimsuit and ran off. Now Sonic was left with the task of getting out of this date without breaking her heart. Of course, that would be impossible, so he'd have to limit the damage.  
  
Sonic headed back to the hotel, flipped out the key to his condo, and opened the door. It was deathly quiet for a second. Then he heard the TV buzzing. He hadn't left the TV on. The lights in the kitchen were on. He didn't remember leaving that on, either. The fridge was propped open, too. He hadn't left that open either.  
  
Walking slowly, he approached the living room. There was a figure laying on his couch. Barely keeping his nerve, he quickly thought of a plan. He picked up a cup and chucked it against a wall. The shattering sound sparked the figure's attention, giving Sonic the chance to dash towards him and get him in a full nelson.  
  
"Okay punk, what's the deal?" Sonic growled at him.  
  
"Mmh…Umh..Sonic!" the familiar voice managed to get out.  
  
"Tails?!" shouted an amazed Sonic. He let his best friend go. "Man, I'm sorry. But why the hell were you in my house? And how did you get in, anyway?"  
  
Catching his breath, the fox Miles Prower, or just "Tails" to his friends, finally managed to get out an answer. "You left your balcony door open. I thought you were home, so I just flew in."  
  
Of course.  
  
"Okay, now that I know how, why?" Sonic demanded.  
  
"I needed to tell you," he responded, his breath now back to him, "the police want you down at the station."  
  
"Why?" He didn't want another ordeal like with Shadow and the Space Colony ARK.  
  
"Dunno," Tails shrugged. "Maybe they need you to help with an investigation or something."  
  
"Yeah, I'll bet." Then he thought, hey, this would be a great way to get out of his date with Amy. He wouldn't hurt her feelings, but he wouldn't have to give in to her silly crush, either.  
  
"Okay, where is the station?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Somewhere on the corner of Acorn and 3rd Street. It's about an hour drive from here. So you should get there in five minutes."  
  
"Yeah, I'll go later. I don't have anything to do tonight."  
  
"Oh really?" said Tails, batting an eyebrow. "How about your big date with Amy?"  
  
"Jiminy Christmas, does everyone on the planet know about this?"  
  
"You're trying to skip out on the date, huh? Amy called about six times asking for you. She wanted know what she should wear."  
  
"Sheesh."  
  
The phone rang again.  
  
"And that's probably her again," Tails laughed.  
  
"Ugh." Sonic picked it up.  
  
"Yo."  
  
"Sonic, I'm bored! Is it seven yet?" Amy asked., the reception crackling with static  
  
"Amy, it's 5:30. You have an hour and a half. Don't worry."  
  
"I'm coming over now. We can have some fun beforehand. Be there in a minute."  
  
Sonic slammed the phone down, a crazed expression on his face. "She's going to be here in one minute."  
  
Someone rang the doorbell.  
  
"And that's probably her, too," Tails cackled. He was enjoying every minute of this.  
  
"How did she get here so fast? I couldn't have done that!"  
  
"Maybe she called on her cell on her way."  
  
"Crazy girl has a mind of her own. Thinks she can just waltz over to my house anytime she pleases."  
  
"Like me." Tails said sarcastically.  
  
Sonic hurried to the balcony. "See ya. You think my little dilemma is so funny, you can go out with Amy." Without another word, he jumped off. Tails looked below and saw Sonic land and immediately take off towards the police station.  
  
The doorbell rang again.  
  
"Guess I'll get it," Tails murmured as he went to the door.  
  
Sonic had forgotten one minor detail of his trip to the police. He had no clue where the corner of Acorn and 3rd Street was. By the time he had gotten useful directions, it was dark out. Around 7:30, he'd say. He laughed as he pictured Tails trying to handle an infuriated Amy.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked a faraway voice.  
  
Sonic froze. For all he knew, someone could be looking at him through a set of crosshairs. He had to see where the voice was coming from.  
  
"It's an inside joke," he yelled to no one in particular. "Who are you, anyway?"  
  
Instead of a voice, he heard the sound of rushing air followed by the planting of feet. Sonic spun around to see a tall, young looking human with scraggly brown hair.  
  
"You're Sonic the Hedgehog , right?" said the man, or boy, depending on exactly how old he was.  
  
"What's it to you?" Sonic growled back. He didn't like this guy, even if he was good.  
  
"I'm here to be sure you don't do anything stupid again."  
  
Sonic was dumbfounded.  
  
"The only stupid thing is challenging me like this. It is a challenge, right?"  
  
"Not directly. But if that's what you think…"  
  
"Fine then, I accept. But remember, no scratching, no biting, and no crying to Mommy."  
  
"I'm not stupid, I know you took that from Artemis Fowl," laughed the boy.  
  
"Hey, you try thinking of one liners quick enough for them to be funny."  
  
"I can, and I also know that that book is probably the most difficult piece of literature you'll ever read."  
  
Sonic didn't have to knock this one back. It was on. Both stared at one another, waiting for the other to make the first move. It seemed like a decade before something happened. A seagull crowed in the distance. The boy looked up at it. Sonic took this time to strike. At mach 3 speed, he charged at him, only to come to a screeching halt at the sight of a sword in front of the boy. He had come within an inch of the tip. The blade had an unusual orange hue around it.  
  
"Nice," Sonic muttered. With a quick move, he knocked the sword high into the air, watching it stab into a nearby building. "But sharp things are dangerous. Let's see what you do without the weapon first."  
  
A roundhouse kick met Sonic's request. The blow sent the hedgehog zooming across the street, just missing a passing bus. By the time Sonic was up, the boy was back on the roof with his sword.  
  
"I can do plenty without the sword, but it's a hell of a lot easier with it. Come up here so you're not flattened into a flat blue disc.  
  
No witty comeback from Sonic this time. He didn't dare risk fighting near the road-it was twilight, and the driving around here wasn't known as "safe." So he jumped to the top of the building with the boy.  
  
"Are you ready yet?" the boy demanded. "Or is it your curfew already?"  
  
Growling, Sonic braced himself. This time, the boy made the first move. He threw his sword at Sonic, which was easy to dodge since he had such a long throwing motion. Sonic stopped running from the sword, then yelped as he barely jumped over the boy, who had careened towards him with a bicycle kick. After ripping the sword out of the wall it was stuck in, he charged Sonic, sword glowing all the brighter. Sonic ducked under the sword and swept the boy's legs. Then, imitating a Mortal Kombat move he had seen before, Sonic hit him with a massive uppercut just as the boy had gotten up. Slowly rising, the boy wiped some blood from his nose and got back into fighting position. Sonic charged again, but when the boy tried the same move, the blue blur jumped over the sweep. Then, while in mid-air, he shoved his legs downward and hammered the boy with a series of kicks to the head. He pushed it too far, though, and the boy figured out how to get out of the beating. Rearing his head back, Sonic hit the boy's rock hard chest, which basically did nothing. Next, he did a flip kick to the hedgehog, sending him high into the night sky. The sword now glowing a dark red, he reared back and prepared to slice the hedgehog as if in a batting motion. In an almost Matrix-like dodge, Sonic twisted and turned around the swinging blade as he plummeted back to the earth. He tried to get the jump on the boy, still recoiling from the swing, and he threw a hard left hook-but in a flash, the boy was gone. Anticipating a move, Sonic ducked as the boy went soaring over his head, blade drawn. Sonic couldn't get another quick move in, though, because the boy whipped around in a prepared stance.  
  
This guy isn't nearly as fast as I am, thought Sonic. But he's quick, and that's almost as bad. No pushover. Just wish I knew what he was doing this for.  
  
Suddenly, a radio on the boy's belt started crackling. A police voice spoke.  
  
"We have a situation in sector D, a number 5075. Proceed with caution, a limited time is had."  
  
"Roger, identical situation number in sector H. Requesting additional officers and a disarming team if possible in each of these sectors. This is an emergency situation. This is not-"  
  
The boy clicked off the radio. "That's a bomb warning. I'm assuming this is your doing, as well, you barbarian?"  
  
"I was just thinking the same of you," Sonic said.  
  
"Whatever. I'm gonna go help out. I'll have to finish with you later. Don't go causing more trouble than you already have."  
  
Before Sonic could respond, the boy was off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Sonic wanted to help, but he had no clue where any sector was, and he certainly wasn't going to follow that guy. As if an answer to his problem, he saw a group of squad cars far off in the distance, sirens blaring, racing towards Station Square.  
  
"Well, it's worth a shot," he said. At least he'd have a chance of helping if he went to Station Square.   
  
As he dashed off, he thought to himself, "Man, this is a lot more fun than some lousy date."  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Super Sonic Power  
  
Capital City was pretty big. It was one of the biggest cities in the world. That said, reaching Station Square, the southern section of the city, from the north side was going to take a very long time. Sonic raced ahead of the police cars and dipped in and out of the traffic. The police sirens wailed behind him. At first, Sonic thought it was because of the bomb, but after two of the cars followed him specifically with sirens still sounding, he realized that he was another reason they were using the sirens. Well, there was no shot of them catching him, anyway. He cranked up the speed and left the cop cars in the dust. In fact, he was pretty sure the wind that rushed past him had blown the cars away.  
  
Running to a specific place sounds easy, but when there were tons of cars in the way and there was a time limit, Sonic was feeling the pressure. It didn't help that he saw a giant, gray object streaking across the sky. He thought it was a plane until he saw it smoking in the back. If it was a plane, it was in trouble. Now what?  
  
Then he remembered. Duh! He still had the Emeralds from the Space Colony. He tossed them up in the air and held up his arms, sucking the energy from the gems. In a few moments, he looked like he had fallen in a vat of bleach and somehow dyed his usually emerald eyes red, but he knew he was the golden dynamo, SuperSonic. He had forgotten about traffic, and horns honked from all directions. So he got out of there way. Unfortunately, flying away in a shimmering streak of gold isn't a great way to avoid attracting attention. But it didn't really matter to him. His first priority was to get to that missile.  
  
"EEEARH!"  
  
"Please, have mercy!"  
  
CRASH!!!  
  
Well, there went whatever was left of the TV.  
  
"That lying JERK! I'll kill him, I'll kick his-"  
  
"Amy, it isn't his fault, the police wanted him!"  
  
"I'll bet they did. And he couldn't leave BEFORE our date!"  
  
Tails didn't bother telling her she had come an hour and a half before the date started. The pink hedgehog, now more of a crimson red, had reached "the point of no return," a form which could only be relieved by knocking her out. But there was no way Tails was getting near that living tornado. So his quick mind formulated a plan. Grabbing a piece of the shattered bookcase, he knocked on one of the still standing pieces of the wall.  
  
"Great, he's back!" said Amy. "Now I can trash him. Get the door Tails, or I'll snap your arm in half! I need a running start."  
  
"Sure Amy," Tails murmured. As he approached Amy, he used all his might and clubbed her across the head. Tails wasn't incredibly strong,, so going all out managed to knock her out without severely injuring her.  
  
"Good night," Tails told the unconscious body as he picked her up by the wrists and flew off the balcony, taking her to the beach.  
  
The rush of power was incredible. Sonic had forgotten how great it felt to be super again! Chasing the missile wouldn't be nearly as hard now.  
  
At terminal velocity, SuperSonic was the fastest thing alive, but that didn't mean he was the fastest thing period. He was hoping the missile wasn't the fastest inanimate object, either, or he might not make it. You'd figure he'd have an easier time in the air, but there were plenty of clouds in the sky that night, making it hard to see. That was never good, especially with a passing plane now and then. He had to be really careful. The harsh breeze nearly took off his arms. He wasn't quite at top speed yet. If he was close, the sonic boom would probably knock out at least a couple windows.  
  
The missile smoke was now getting in his way. There was too much going on up here-clouds, smoke, birds, planes, etc. Sonic was getting frustrated. Then he remembered Tails and Amy back at the apartment and broke into hysterics. The laughter seemed to give him an extra boost.  
  
This was it. He could feel it. In a few seconds, he'd reach the sonic boom. But he was still a ways away from the missile. Was supersonic speed going to be enough with so little time.  
  
Like he had predicted, Sonic broke the sound barrier, shattering the windows from below. He quickly caught up to the missile. Now to find out who it belonged to. He assumed it was Eggman…  
  
"What?"  
  
All it read was .com. Oh great. Now when he got home, he could look through the trillions of websites that ended with .com to find out who the missile belonged to.  
  
He was within 2 miles of the city now. Normally, that's plenty of time, but at these speeds, he had about . If he could just get his arms ahead of it, he could knock it away. Stretching them as far as they would go…  
  
"Yes!" His hands were on the nose of the missile. Harnessing all his strength, he swung his body around to the front of the missile, let it come over his head, and hurled it high into space. The only damage it could do there was to the ozone layer, and it was bad enough as it was.  
  
A job well done, Sonic thought. But he couldn't shake two feelings. One, that the .com missile had to do with the mysterious boy with the sword. The second was that he had forgotten something very important. No, he had already ditched Amy's date, and he had already delivered his spare pair of shoes to the polish and repair store. He heard a police siren below.  
  
Oh yeah. Now he remembered.  
  
"KABOOM!" Station Square exploded in a towering inferno.  
  
"Oops."  
  
At this point, you should know that two key characters in our story have woken up and have no clue where they are. The first you already know about. She has woken up lying on the beach in the middle of the night in her best blue dress. She rubbed the back of her throbbing head, wondering, "Where the hell am I?"  
  
The other character we have not met yet; however, you know him very well already. We will not reveal his name yet, but we will say that he has awoken with a stabbing pain in his chest, and absolutely no recognition of anything from the past few weeks. This is actually an improvement over our previous character, who regained memory quickly. He would not regain memory for a while. He was in a psychedelic world of changing colors, shapes, and forms. The one similarity, though, was that he thought the same thing as our previous character: "Where the hell am I?"  
  
"Sonic the Hedgehog!" a policeman had called from a megaphone below. Sonic sighed. You couldn't even go Super anymore without causing a commotion.  
  
"Yeah!" he called from above. He had also forgotten to get to the police office. Oh well. He was just trying to save the city again. Not that it really did anything. "What can I help you with?"  
  
"Come down here. You are under arrest for murder of the first degree and terrorist attacks of the first degree. You have a right-"  
  
But Sonic had cut off the intake back at the work "arrest."  
  
"What are you people talking about? I just saved your city from a missile attack!"  
  
"We bet you did. Just come on down here and receive your medal for doing so."  
  
"And if I don't want a medal?"  
  
"Then we've got a hundred men and mechs with their guns aimed directly at you. When I say the magic word, you'll be shot to a bloody pulp."  
  
"Oh, okay, let me try it. Please?…It doesn't look like it works, Chief."  
  
"Listen here, rodent! You have five seconds to get down here before we open fire."  
  
Rodent. Another one of Sonic's pet peeves.  
  
"The thing is, your guys have ace aim, but are they fast?" Without another word, SuperSonic blasted off into the night sky with a hail of gunfire behind him. He may be outnumbered, but he hadn't lost the ability to be one of the most annoying things on the face of the planet.  
  
"Sorry guys," he shouted back to the infuriated cop team, laughing. "I've got a date with a beautiful woman."  
  
Chapter 3  
  
The Art of Combat  
  
"Wonder what that was all about," Sonic said to himself as he cruised across the night sky. "I didn't kill anyone, or do any terrorist things. I'll have to check the Web and see what's up." He raced on, a golden ray through a black cloth…  
  
Whoa! Where did that come from?!? Sonic went plummeting to the ground, something forcing him downward. Sonic had no time to find out who it was before he blacked out.  
  
"Wake up, convict," a voice barked at Sonic. Shaking his head, trying to get the little purple balls out of his vision, his sight focused in on a set of steel bars in front of him. A cop, or someone like it, had shoved his face as close to the bars as he could.  
  
"It's about time, Sleeping Beauty," he growled. "We're giving you your phone call now. Get out here and hurry up about it."  
  
It finally dawned on Sonic that he was in a prison. He had been caught. His Chaos Emeralds had been taken from him, so going Super was out of the question. He may as well go along with it for now. He followed the cop to a red phone. As Sonic dialed Tails' cell phone, he saw another policeman handing a familiar face an envelope. It was the boy from before. No sword in sight. Suddenly, he had a flashback to his last scene before he was knocked unconscious. He couldn't tell, but the closest match to what had driven him downwards was this boy. He must be a bounty hunter, Sonic thought. That was the only reason he would have attacked him unprovoked.  
  
"Hurry up, convict!" the cop yelled right in Sonic's ear. Quickly, Sonic dialed the last three numbers and waited.  
  
Back at Tails' workshop, the fox was sound asleep when he heard a sound similar to Jimmy Eat World's "Authority Song." Then he remembered it was his cell phone's customized ring tone. He popped out of bed. It was about 5:30 in the morning. Fumbling through his nigh table, he felt around until he felt something similar to the phone. He had to hurry, the ring was already saying "Put my last quarter on," which meant the voicemail would pick up in a second. He yanked it out, but just as he pressed the "Accept Call" button, the ring ended. Damn. Oh well, it probably wasn't important. He plopped back into bed and dozed off.  
  
Just as Sonic was going to leave a voice mail, the cop grabbed the phone and slammed it down. "Too long! Back in your cell, convict.!"  
  
Jeez, Sonic thought. What else could go wrong? He didn't even know what he did yet!  
  
Late that night, Sonic lay in his stone cot. He was to see a judge tomorrow. He couldn't get a good lawyer because he didn't have any money. Why would he? He didn't really have a permanent home, either. He was a nomad, wandering and running from place to place. This meant the state would provide Sonic with some crappy pro bono lawyer who didn't know any more about the law than he did. Well, this was it. This was pretty much the end of the line. Unless they made the mistake of transporting him via air again. They had tried to do that during his escapades with Shadow. It didn't turn out very well for the poor pilot and his crew.  
  
Sonic heard a revving noise. That's weird, he thought, that sounded like Tails' pickup. But he thought that had been in the shop for the past week…  
  
CRASH!  
  
"Good God!" Sonic yelled as he ducked for cover. When the dust settled, he saw a huge hole in the wall. Behind it stood none other than…  
  
"Amy?!?"  
  
"Get in the car, Sonic," Amy told him. But Sonic wasn't listening. He raced out and grabbed Amy by the wrist, hurling her into the car's passenger seat. Amy flew into it first with a shriek, then with an "Oomph!"   
  
Sonic got into the driver's seat and yelled, "What the hell were you doing?"  
  
"Sorry for saving you after you ditched me," Amy sassed back.  
  
Sonic didn't have time to explain his predicament. "Shut up for now, Amy. There's no point in having the cops know you're involved in this. Just duck below the dashboard and I'll get you out of here quick."  
  
"But you don't know how to drive!" Amy cried.  
  
"I won't need to," Sonic grinned devilishly.  
  
The last time she'd seen that look, the most deadly and reckless moment of her life had followed.  
  
Amy was never more scared to death than she was right this second. She didn't have time to scream as Sonic floored it.  
  
Now we jump from our blue Planet Earth to Carnival Island, one of the islands hovering deep in space around Mobius. In it, a news satellite had just delivered universal information to the planet, and there were a few people who weren't very happy about the news.  
  
"So, it's finally happened. That crazy guy finally got himself killed," Espio, a chameleon, commented once the news came in.  
  
"I can't believe it," muttered Vector the crocodile.. The image on TV had drawn his attention away from his headphones. He was listening to the new CD from Mesh Stl.  
  
"I always thought they were so tight," Charmy the bee thought aloud. "What happened to them?"  
  
Mighty was silent for a while. Then, he lifted the TV that had brought them the bad news and threw it across the room.  
  
"I'll kill that rodent!" the armadillo screamed. "I'll tear his head off and mount it on my wall so I can throw darts at it!" He turned to the others. "Let's go. We've got a little trip to a planet called Earth to make."  
  
"Squad 3, do you copy? Over."  
  
"This is Squad 3, we read you loud and clear, over."  
  
"Have you found anything from the car? Over."  
  
"Negative, sir. The car was driven into a ravine. First look shows no signs of survivors. Requesting an official rescue team and an autopsy unit out here if possible. Over."  
  
"Affirmative. What is your location? Over."  
  
"We are somewhere near Bay Avenue. Over."  
  
"Understood. We are sending both a rescue and autopsy team now. Over and out."  
  
"Oh…my…god…" was all Amy could get out as she and Sonic ran away from the burned wreckage of the car.  
  
"Hey, I've gotten you out of tighter spots before," Sonic reminded her. "Did you ever doubt me for a second?"  
  
"No, just the whole damn time!" Amy shouted at him. "Does everything you do involve near death?"  
  
"Well, if it weren't deadly," Sonic explained, "it wouldn't be fun, now would it?"  
  
"Is that all you live for?" Amy demanded. "The thrill of the moment? Just for kicks?"  
  
Sonic paused for a moment.  
  
"Until I find another reason to live." With that, he shot away in a whirl of dust.  
  
"Sonic!" Amy shouted, but there was no use. Suddenly, a light appeared behind her. It was a cop car's headlights.  
  
"SONIC!"  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Dimension 8.75  
  
"You are alive," a voice told him. "You are not gone. You are in a different place, but still alive."  
  
The last thing Knuckles remembered was guarding the Master Emerald. Again. Then, everything had gone dark, instantly. No pain, no nothing. Now he was awake here, in what appeared to be a psychedelic dream world.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked the person hovering over him. She had beautiful blue hair and matching eyes. She appeared to be a human."  
  
"My name is Crystal," she responded with a flowing voice. "You are not dead, though you think you are."  
  
"I know. I sort of got the picture when you told me about three times."  
  
"I apologize."  
  
"Good. Now where am I, Crystal?"  
  
"You are in the place that comes just before heaven. You are in what we call Dimension 8.75."  
  
Knuckles got it almost instantly. Heaven was Cloud Nine, so this being the last place before heaven, it was 8.75. Clever.  
  
"Next question. How did I get here?"  
  
"Back on Earth, you were killed by ways unknown to you and us. However, the Master Emerald, thankful for your guardianship and devotion to it, gave you a single strand of life. You were stopped just before you got to heaven."  
  
Knuckles couldn't believe it. He didn't even remember anything, and yet he knew something had caught him off his guard for just long enough to do him in.  
  
"Wonderful. So instead of heaven, I'm in No Man's Land. I feel so special"  
  
"Not completely," Crystal replied. "There is one way to return to your home dimension."  
  
Crystal was silent.  
  
"So, can you tell me how to do it?" Knuckles asked, impatient.  
  
"There is a labyrinth in this dimension that allows those who pass through it to return to whatever place they came from."  
  
"Well, let's go, then! How do I get there?"  
  
"You simply think of it and you are there."  
  
"Wait," Knuckles said first. "If you can leave whenever you pass through the labyrinth, why don't you leave?"  
  
Crystal was silent.  
  
"I am permanently stuck here. I passed on too many times and could not return home again. Besides, the labyrinth is very deadly and I could not beat it again."  
  
Knuckles knew she was lying, but he had no time for this. He had to find out what was going on and how he died. He thought of the labyrinth and he was instantly at its entrance.  
  
"SONIC!"  
  
Aw man, Sonic thought. He didn't know what to do. If he saved her, the police would know that Amy was involved with Sonic and his breakout. But if he left her, the police might know about her anyway, and she'd be captured. He decided to hide out behind a couple bushes and see what happened.  
  
From what he saw, nothing was happening. The police had stopped to talk to Amy, probably about staying off the road. Amy nodded her head to a question Sonic obviously couldn't hear. She turned away from the police. Sonic prayed she was leaving, hoping the police would leave her. She began to walk away…  
  
Towards another policeman. Who cuffed her instantly.   
  
Damn it!  
  
Sonic burst ahead and snatched Amy up, running away with her in his arms. Gunfire exploded behind him, but he outran all the bullets as he dashed back to his apartment. Then, he reconsidered. The cops would look there first. No, he had to go to the Mystic Ruins and find Tails. But there was Amy to handle. He wasn't strong enough to carry her the whole way, and she wasn't fast enough to escape from the cops.  
  
No time to think. The squad cars were in pursuit. No doubt they would get planes and hunter robots out soon.  
  
It was decision time. Right now. What was he gonna do?  
  
Careening towards the planet Earth was a spaceship holding the Chaotix gang. Gang Mighty was moving back and forth, bobbing and weaving, practicing his fight moves.  
  
"Could you stop that?" Vector pleaded. "You're gonna crash the ship."  
  
Mighty wasn't paying attention. The only words he had said since the news were the ones he spoke on Carnival Island.  
  
"You should know that the only word Mighty reacts to is "dead"," Espio joked as he piloted the ship. Mighty muttered something about "the dead lizard walking" as he continued to train.  
  
The moment Knuckles entered the labyrinth, he knew something was very wrong. Normally, he had the utmost confidence in himself as he entered a challenge. This time, though, he had a feeling like he had no chance. Was it because he had dropped his guard on Earth, which had spurred his death? He didn't know, but he did know he had no other option.  
  
The ceiling and floor was flashing various colors, like the rest of the dimension had. The walls were pitch black. It was almost like a void that Knuckles could walk right into. The first time he touched it, though, he received a massive electrical jolt, telling him not to have that happen again. This meant he could not scale the massive cave without having a ton of volts put through him. There went his advantage. He could still fly for a bit, but in a close-quarters hallway like the many corridors the labyrinth had, it wouldn't help. He needed to climb.  
  
As he wandered through the odd maze, he came across numerous weak enemies, which he disposed of with ease. Then came a vicious part. Ahead of him came a stretch with a black floor and flashing ceiling. Great, Knuckles thought. He could still climb on the ceiling, but he soon realized there came another area not too far ahead that had no flashing areas-pure black. As he moved ahead on the ceiling, trying to figure his situation out with an upside-down view, it came to him that his only choice was to glide a bit, then defy gravity by shooting back upwards once the ceiling started flashing again. Once he reached the black ceiling, he jumped and began gliding. Once he reached another flashing ceiling, he lunged with all his might to latch onto it. He couldn't.  
  
Okay, new plan, he thought. Knuckles would have to take a jolt as he touched the ground, then shoot up immediately to grab the ceiling, getting as little pain as possible. He slowly fell to the black floor.  
  
When is this shock coming, Knuckles thought. Then, he saw how far below the flashing walls he was.  
  
There was no black floor. There was no electric floor. There was no floor period.  
  
The spaceship landed safely in what appeared to be an abandoned ruin. The gang landed right next to an old pyramid. Even though Charmy was the fastest and closest to the door, Mighty was the first one out. The powerful armadillo examined the area and found the slightest trace of civilization far off, past the forest.  
  
"Come on guys," he growled. "We've got a little visit to make to one Sonic the Hedgehog."  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Thrill Seekers  
  
"AAAHHHH!"  
  
"See?" Sonic yelled back to Amy. "Aren't you disappointed that you missed out on all my water ski trips?"  
  
"No!" Amy yelled back to him as water sprayed into her face.  
  
"Oh well," Sonic shrugged. He was glad he had kept his jet ski instead of pawning it for cash. It came in handy, especially now when the police were chasing him and Amy.  
  
"Sonic, there's some police ships ahead of us! Now what?" Amy asked.  
  
Sonic rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Amy, don't you have any trust in me?" He thrust the accelerator forward and headed right towards the boats.  
  
"Are you trying to get us killed?" Amy howled, covering her eyes.  
  
"No, just havin' some fun," he chuckled.  
  
"Sonic the Hedge-" a policeman on one of the boats started, but there was no chance. The boats didn't take into account the fact that he would just head right towards them. Sonic threaded the needle between two boats and left a trail of splashing water behind he and Amy.  
  
"Hope Tails has an extra bed," Sonic joked as he zipped towards the Mystic Ruins. Amy shook her head behind him.  
  
"Do you ever learn?" she wondered aloud.  
  
"Well," Sonic responded, "if I did learn, would I do this?" He turned the jet ski around and rode back towards the police boats.  
  
"Good lord, what in God's name are you doing?" Amy shrieked. "Wait, let me guess. Having some fun?"  
  
"Wow, you do learn, unlike me," Sonic yelled back.  
  
"Please, Sonic, don't do this!" the pink hedgehog pleaded.  
  
"Sorry, but I never learn." The police boats got closer.  
  
"SONIC!"  
  
"Yeah? I'm waiting."  
  
"All right! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! You can do it whatever way you want!" Amy screamed, almost sobbing out of fear.  
  
"Now THAT'S what I wanted to hear," Sonic said, satisfied. He whirled around away from the police boats and rocketed back in his initial direction. After all that screaming, the roaring of the jet ski seemed calm.  
  
If we get to Tails' place tonight, Sonic thought, she's sleeping outside.  
  
After ravaging through the forest, Mighty, Espio, Vector, and Charmy wandered into a clearing in the ruin. There was an ocean in the distance. To their left was a couple more caves, on the right was a train stop and a hole in a mountain, and straight ahead was a hill with a small house on it. Smoke pumped from the top of the tiny home. Someone was home, or they were very irresponsible.  
  
"Looks like we have our first lead," Mighty told his friends.  
  
"How do we know the people in that house know about this?" Charmy asked the armadillo.  
  
Mighty groaned. "Come on, Charmy, everyone on this planet has heard about this. If they haven't, they've been living in a hole twenty miles below ground inside a cave while wearing earplugs."  
  
"Or they're dead," Espio chuckled.  
  
In one swift motion, Mighty had Espio held high over his head yelling bloody murder. Mighty was ready to toss the chameleon a hundred yards into the ocean when Charmy got in the way.  
  
"Please, Mighty," the bee begged, "the last thing we need is for us to be down a man, especially against Sonic and his friends."  
  
Mighty sighed. He knew Charmy was right, he just hated to admit it. Instead, he flipped Espio above his head and ran towards the hill again. Vector and Charmy followed. A minute later, Espio crashed down to the ground. He was slow to get up, but soon joined his friends at the door entrance.  
  
"Well, here we go," Mighty growled, ready to smash the house to pieces.  
  
"Wait," Charmy asked. "Shouldn't we at least make sure they're not doing anything embarrassing?"  
  
"Jeez, are you this person's personal bodyguard or something, Charm?" Mighty said, exasperated. "Fine."  
  
He knocked once.  
  
"Okay, they're not busy," he said quickly, then immediately he smashed the door open. A small brown fox jumped up, surprised.  
  
"Alright, foxy boy," Mighty yelled, "what do you know about Sonic the Hedgehog? Where is he?"  
  
"I…I…" the fox stammered, then he dashed off.  
  
"I'll get him," Vector said, and he raced off after the fox. Vector was faster, but the fox had the jump start. When the fox turned a corner, Vector followed, but saw an empty garage instead. It was too quiet for comfort. Then, to his horror, one of the machines, a blue one, rose high above him. A blue one. It appeared to be a plane, until he saw it had legs. It was some kind of mech machine.  
  
"Uh, guys?" Vector muttered.  
  
The fox rose his head above the machine and started firing a small cannon. As fast as he was, Vector knew he needed some backup. He ran screaming back into the living room with Mighty and the others.  
  
"Guys!" he yelled. "There's this big machine thing, come on!"  
  
The confused group followed the crocodile into the garage. The machine was gone, and so was the fox.  
  
"Yeah," Mighty said sarcastically, "there's a whole lot of big machine things." Then, he grabbed Vector by the throat. "But no fox! Where the hell is the fox?"  
  
Vector had no air to speak.  
  
"Hey, look at this!" Charmy squeaked from across the room. Mighty relinquished his grasp on Vector and walked over.  
  
It was a note. For Sonic.  
  
"Sonic-  
  
Big invited me to his hut for some breakfast today. You can come too, if you'd like. I'll be over there at 9:30. We can talk about your situation, too, and what's going on. See you there.  
  
Tails  
  
P.S. Amy can come to, if you'd like. And you might not want to head back to your apartment for a while."  
  
Mighty grinned as the group walked outside.  
  
"Well, there you go," he said. "I told you our first house would give us a lead."  
  
"But we don't know who this Big person is," Espio responded.  
  
"Hmm…" Mighty wondered. "You're right."  
  
As if on cue, a large purple cat rose from beside a nearby pond with a bucket of fish and a fishing rod. The cat trotted back into the forest they just came out of.  
  
"That one big enough for you?" Vector asked.  
  
Big had about twenty minutes before Tails and Sonic were going to show up for breakfast, so he ran as fast as his little stubby legs would take him. Froggy was back home coking the sausage and making the orange juice. Big was going to get the fish and pancakes. If they had time, they would cook up some eggs as well. Tails had said there was something important he and Sonic had to talk about. Big didn't want to get involved, but he wanted to make them welcome.  
  
When he got home, Froggy was struggling to open the package of sausage.  
  
"Oh, Froggy!" Big cried. "They're going to be here soon! We need to hurry!"  
  
As Big helped his amphibian friend with the sausage, he heard a single knock at his door. Before Big could even turn around, the door was smashed open. When the dust had settled, a chameleon, a bee, a crocodile, and an armadillo had surrounded him.  
  
"Have room for a couple more guests?" the armadillo asked. "Don't worry, we don't take up too much space." Even a guy like Big knew this was trouble. But even his girth couldn't take on all four of them. Scrambling for a solution, he got out one more sentence before they knocked him out.  
  
"I…I made pancakes."  
  
Chapter 6  
  
The Best is Bested  
  
Okay, Knuckles thought. Don't panic. It's okay. You're already dead, kind of, so you can't die again, right? Right?  
  
"Yes, you can," said a voice in his head. It was not his own.  
  
"Crystal?!?" he said to himself. "How…what are you doing?"  
  
"Mental telepathy. Long story. You can die again. Just try the Chaos Control."  
  
"Wait…" He had heard that before. "I can't do that, only Sonic and Shadow can."  
  
"It's not exactly the same," explained Crystal. "It's another advantage of the Master Emerald. It's one of the powers you receive when you are in your Chaotix form."  
  
Of course, now Knuckles remembered. His Chaotix form was equivalent to Sonic's Super form, except he turned green and used the Master Emerald. But…  
  
"I can only use Chaotix when I have the Master Emerald," he retaliated, still slowly drifting downward. "It's still on Earth."  
  
"But you can utilize some of its power now. Just try it, quickly, before the void becomes too deep."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Knuckles took a deep breath and concentrated. Get me away from here, he thought. Just get back to a safe haven. Get back on the platform. And, like Crystal predicted, he saw green sparks fizzle in front of his eyes. In a few seconds, he found himself back on a glowing platform, though he did not know which one.  
  
"All right, Crystal, how do I do this telekinesis thing?" Knuckles asked to no one in particular.  
  
Nothing. Where was she?  
  
"Crystal?"  
  
"Knuckles? Did you make it?" Crystal said in his mind.  
  
"Yeah, so how do I do the telekinesis thing?"  
  
"Just think the words and I will hear them."  
  
Of course. Everything in this place involved a simple thought.  
  
"Okay, so how could you have heard me when I just said the words before?" Knuckles "asked" Crystal.  
  
"Trade secret," she responded. "So where are you?"  
  
"I was hoping you knew," Knuckles responded.  
  
He heard Crystal sigh.  
  
"Very well. You're on your own for a bit unless you come across something noteworthy."  
  
Now it was Knuckles' turn to sigh. He was hoping his newfound telekinesis could help him in some way, but to no avail. Luckily, he still had the ability to transport. So, he gave the obvious a shot, even know he figured it wouldn't work.  
  
Get me to the center of this maze. Get me to the end.  
  
Naturally, it didn't work. The labyrinth wouldn't be a big deal to beat if you could just teleport to the end. It was time to do a bit of good old fashioned exploring. Good for him, though, because exploring was what had made him famous back on Earth.  
  
He had walked over to his starship/hovercraft when he heard the crackle of a radio. Groaning, he turned it off. His work here was done. And now, he was that much closer to having all the money he needed to complete his mission. The mission he had been striving to accomplish for five years. Another mission like this with a huge payoff would be enough. He hated to do it this way, he wanted to do it the noble way, but the criminal was just too crafty and always at least six steps ahead.  
  
A buzzing sound shook his radio. This meant there was an emergency. He sighed and flipped the radio on.  
  
"Is this Kasille? Over."  
  
"Roger. What's the situation, over?"  
  
"The convict escaped. A breakout. We need your assistance. It will involve a significant pay increase. Over."  
  
That was all he needed to hear.  
  
"Roger. Where was their last sight? Over."  
  
"We have just received word from a police liner that the convict and his accomplice, a pink one of the same species, evaded them and are approaching the Mystic Ruins dock quickly on some kind of jet ski. Need backup immediately. Over."  
  
"Gotcha. I'm on my way, over and out."  
  
With that he flipped off his radio and got into his hovercraft. He warmed up the engines and slowly pushed his throttle forward. Blade Kasille was on the hunt again.   
  
Whoever those creeps were they were definitely going to give him trouble later.  
  
Tails zoomed off in the Cyclone. That was a narrow escape. Had he lost a single step, that crocodile thing would have caught him. He was fast. Not as fast as Sonic, but pretty damn fast altogether.  
  
Wait, Sonic!  
  
The only reason ANYONE had ever come after him was because of Sonic. And he knew Sonic was having legal problems again. Were these guys after him because of that? He had to find Sonic.  
  
He had left a note back at the workshop to meet with Big. Maybe Sonic had seen it by now. Or…  
  
Oh no. If those guys had seen the note, they could ambush Sonic if he went to Big's hut.  
  
Tails morphed the Cyclone into Speed Jet mode. It sprouted four wings and a larger jet space. At top speed, he zoomed off to the forest.  
  
As he approached the forest where the hut was, Tails was about to press the button so he could land when a cannon blast whizzed just past his plane. He looked up to see a large spacecraft of some sort firing at him. "Okay," Tails said to himself, "you wanna take on the best ace pilot in the galaxy? Not even Fox McCloud has anything on this fox."  
  
The person controlling the ship seemed to expect Tails to come at him. So he didn't. He hung back and fired a couple lasers from afar. It was a simple sniping match for a while. The spaceship, which was probably four times as big as Tails' plane, took more shots, but since this form of the plane wasn't designed to take too many hits, the Cyclone's shield was probably lower. Time to make a change, Tails thought.  
  
Trying out a new form, he morphed the Cyclone into a bulky plane with two wings and a lot of shield power. He sacrificed some serious speed with this form, but since it didn't appear that he'd be moving too much anyway.  
  
The two crafts traded blows for a while until the larger one stopped firing. Then, as Tails had seen one too many times in sci-fi movies, three smaller, but sizeable, fighters shot out from the bottom of the huge spaceship. Tails knew he couldn't handle all three of them and dodge the spaceship's fire. But he had to try. For Sonic's sake.  
  
He needed mobility now, but he knew the pilots weren't going to sit there and let him morph again. He'd have to make do with what he had to work with. After taking a couple hits, he finally dished out enough laser shots to knock the fighters away for a while. It gave him just enough time to transform back into…  
  
He'd never see exactly how his jet morph would do against the fighters. Because he had forgotten about the giant spaceship. He never saw the giant cannon appear from it, reminiscent of the Egg Carrier. He never saw the giant green beam of light come streaking towards him, knocking out all of his shield and both of his wings. He never saw his ship come careening down into the woods.  
  
Partly because he had been knocked from the plane and already unconscious before he even hit the ground.  
  
"Nice shooting, Charmy," Espio chuckled into his intercom from the fighter jet.  
  
"Yeah," Vector joked, "we didn't think you'd be able to hit the buttons."  
  
"Very funny," Charmy grumbled. "But I gotta admit, the voice controls you rigged up for this baby rock out loud, Es."  
  
Even Mighty was impressed.  
  
"Nice job Es. Now let's get back down to the ground. I'm sure our blue friend will be coming to visit soon. And there won't be any more unexpected guests."   
  
Chapter 7  
  
Triple Ambush  
  
"Alright," Sonic yelled to Amy as they approached the dock near the Mystic Ruins. "We're coming in." He slowed the wave runner down so he could ride it on top of the wooden dock. Once stopped, he pulled Amy off her seat. It was then that Sonic realized Amy wasn't wearing her regular red dress, which Sonic had grown to despise in the past few years. Instead, she had thrown on a white tank top, red vest, and Capri jeans with ripped ends. Sonic couldn't believe it, but she actually looked really nice. Cute, even. But he quickly shook the thought from his mind. He wanted a girl, all right, but Amy? No way, no how.  
  
"Sonic?"  
  
"Oh, sorry," he responded, coming back to reality. "Let's see how Tails is doing. Wonder if he's got some eats for us."  
  
But when they got to the workshop, Tails wasn't there. As they explored the house, Sonic noticed something interesting in the garage-the Cyclone was missing. He must be out for a flight, he thought.  
  
"Sonic, check this out!" Amy shouted from the other end of the house. The two met as each had started walking towards the other. "I found this on the coffee table," she explained, handing a piece of paper to Sonic. It was a note:  
  
"Sonic-  
  
Big invited me to his hut for some breakfast today. You can come too, if you'd like. I'll be over there at 9:30. We can talk about your situation, too, and what's going on. See you there.  
  
Tails  
  
P.S. Amy can come to, if you'd like. And you might not want to head back to your apartment for a while."  
  
"I wonder what he means by "if you'd like." Of course I'd like to come," Amy wondered aloud. Sonic couldn't help but chuckle at Amy's naïve attitude.  
  
"What's so funny?" she asked almost instantly.  
  
"Wha? Oh nothing," Sonic lied. "Just laughing at a joke this note reminded me of."  
  
"Uh huh," Amy responded, completely unconvinced. "So let's get to Big's. I'm starving!"  
  
"It would take too long to go by foot," Sonic said, knowing that he could get there in a minute but it would take Amy about a half hour. "So let's borrow one of Tails' ships."  
  
"Are you sure?" Amy asked. "I could run, it wouldn't take too long. Besides, you're not exactly an ace pilot."  
  
"You kiddin'?" Sonic replied. "I've got the highest score in the flying game back at the CC Arcade. Plus, Tails owes me one, anyway." With that, Sonic chose what he thought was the coolest looking ride-a black plane with a silver streak across it-and hopped in. Amy reluctantly followed, and Sonic took off, the garage door automatically opening.  
  
"Now let's see the max on this thing," Sonic said to himself as he shoved the throttle forward. The plane took off already at terminal velocity. Amy covered her head in fright.  
  
That was Sonic for you, she thought. Even when he wasn't on the ground, there was no stopping his need for speed.  
  
This was fun, Knuckles thought.  
  
In just a half hour, he had tapped into Chaotix power, used mental telepathy, explored caves deeper and longer than any he had seen on Earth, evaded numerous traps, and beaten up enemies more skilled than any he had ever fought. He was loving it! He might just stay in this dimension forever just for the challenge. But he knew no one else would guard the Master Emerald while he was gone and he had to get back.  
  
His trip was just about to get harder, though.  
  
There was another door in front of him. No problem. Every one meant another new trap or gimmick. He wondered what new challenge it could bring.  
  
The next room brought nothing. No walls, no floors, no ceilings, no nothing. Except a whole lot of enemies. Now this was more like it-a huge room with a whole lot of baddies to whoop up on. But when he ran ahead to beat them down, he slammed into nothing. There was nothing there, but it hurt like hell.  
  
"Okay, what was that?" he asked, hoping that Crystal would hear him. She did.  
  
"This room is full of invisible walls. It's the room that usually knocks out challengers to the labyrinth. The walls always change pattern, so no one knows the definite layout of the room."  
  
"Wait, if they get stuck, how are they knocked out?"  
  
Crystal was silent. Then, "I don't know."  
  
"Don't lie, Crystal. What happens?"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"You only have two hours to get through the cave."  
  
"A time limit?!?" Knuckles didn't like this. He never liked time restraints.  
  
"In two hours, if you're not out of the labyrinth, you are sent to heaven for good. You won't have another chance to get out."  
  
"And you didn't tell me this because…"  
  
Crystal didn't speak.  
  
"Crystal, I know you can hear me!"  
  
Still no answer.  
  
"Fine. Be like that if you want. I don't need your help to get out of here. I'm the best explorer in the universe, I could get out of here with my eyes closed." With that, Knuckles went about wandering through the room of invisible walls, with possibly his greatest ally out of the picture.  
  
Sonic landed the plane in the middle of the forest. "Let's go! I'm sure Big has some pancakes on the griddle. I love pancakes! Hope he's got jelly."  
  
Amy staggered out of the plane. "I…will…NEVER…fly…again," she managed to stammer. "At least…not…with you."  
  
Sonic wasn't listening. He was already dashing off to Big's hut. When Sonic was hungry, nothing got in his way, not even a dangerous forest full of hanging vines and streams. Amy trudged on behind until she saw something that caught her eye.  
  
"Sonic!" she yelled. "Take a look at this! It looks like Tails' plane!" But Sonic couldn't hear her. It wouldn't matter anyway, because she didn't say another word. Something hit her hard on the head, knocking her unconscious.  
  
Sonic thought he heard Amy yell, but there was no time. There was breakfast to be had. He waltzed right into Big's suspiciously open door.  
  
"Yo Catman," Sonic shouted, "where's Tails? I'm starving!"  
  
"No catman here," hissed a voice from behind him. Sonic immediately whirled around to face what appeared to be a crocodile.  
  
"Just a couple of reptiles," said another voice behind him-again. Sonic turned to face a chameleon.  
  
"An insect," said a bee floating above his head.  
  
"And two rodents." An armadillo stepped from the shadows. "And the armadillo here to get some vengeance."  
  
"What the hell are you…" Sonic began, then remembered. "Bounty hunters!"  
  
"No, we don't hunt for cash," said the armadillo again, approaching Sonic. Now that he thought of it, he looked really similar to himself, Sonic thought. Except he was red and black instead of blue. Kinda reminded him of Shadow.  
  
"We just hunt for the thrill-and the revenge." The armadillo looked much angrier than the others.  
  
"What is your deal?"  
  
"We're here for your hide, in exchange for the hide of our friend that you took from us."  
  
Considering the crowd he was in, Sonic could take a wild guess at who that "friend" was.  
  
"The hide of our friend," the armadillo finished, "Knuckles the Echidna."  
  
Chapter 8  
  
True Colors  
  
This was not good, one half of Sonic thought.  
  
Well duh, the other half said, you're surrounded and these guys probably have Amy, Big, and Tails, too. So what's the plan, smart one?  
  
Neither side had an answer to that. The only thing he could think of was fight. It might be easier to run, but these guys had been a step ahead the whole way so far, and he expected that they had already taken his great speed into consideration and made some plan or trap for it. But four on one wasn't great odds, even for Sonic. These guys looked tougher than any goon Eggman had ever thrown at him. It was like fighting four versions of Shadow or that bounty hunter from Station Square.  
  
"Listen," Sonic began to explain, but the armadillo wouldn't hear of it.  
  
"No, hedgehog, you listen. The police gave all the information to us back on Carnival Island. We know all about you and the case. We know you shot him in the back and the head on Angel Island. We know you threw the body off Red Mountain. We know about your written confession you turned in in prison. We know it all. We know more about it than you do."  
  
"Wait," Sonic said. This time, the armadillo listened. "I have no clue what you are talking about. I haven't been to Red Mountain in a year. I haven't been on Floating Island in two. And I never, never turned in any confession or broke down in interrogation or any of that crap. Whoever gave you that info was wrong."  
  
The armadillo nodded.  
  
"For a killer, you sure are a terrible liar. We even have a copy of the confession here. Espio?" The chameleon approached. Sonic backed off, worried there was some ambush coming, but instead, he handed him a sheet of paper from a copy machine or fax or something. In it, in cursive handwriting, was a statement.  
  
"I, Sonic the Hedgehog, confess to the murder of Knuckles the Echidna and plead guilty to all charges brought against me, including murder of the first degree and terrorist attacks of the first degree. I understand that this can be used as irrefutable evidence that can and will be used against me on trial in a court of law.  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog  
  
Sunday, July 11, 2004"  
  
Sonic froze on the spot. It was all in his handwriting, he admitted it. But he never remembered writing it at all. He never remembered writing anything in prison. Had someone drugged him and had him do it while he wasn't himself?  
  
"Where…did…you…get…this?" he stammered. It was the best he could get out. No snappy comeback or remark. He was all out.  
  
"Our mysterious contact faxed it to us. They also told us that you would be on Earth around the Mystic Ruins, so we have the utmost trust in him." The armadillo approached Sonic, the grin on his face disappearing. "If you want, try and escape. Just try to run out of here. I dare you."  
  
So Sonic was right, they were ready for his speed. He prepared to fight.  
  
"Oh, so taking the fight and not the flight?" the armadillo said, mock surprise in his voice. "Very well. Boys?"  
  
But before a brawl could break out, which would probably end up being a massacre anyway, a red flash cut in between them. A young man with a glowing red sword appeared in front of Sonic, almost protecting him. Although the others didn't know what was going on, Sonic recognized him as the bounty hunter back at Station Square.  
  
The boy spoke in a harsh voice. "Alright, you four pansies kindly get out of here before I have to get postal on you. No one touches Sonic but me."  
  
"What the…" Sonic stuttered, bewildered.  
  
"Don't think I'm doing you some kind of favor, rodent," the bounty hunter growled. "Once I'm done with these punks, you're coming with me."  
  
"Figures," Sonic murmured. Just when he thought he had caught a break, he realized he had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire-more like out of a beating and into prison again.  
  
The crocodile regained his composure first.  
  
"So who are you, his fairy godmother or something?" he chuckled, but you could hear the fear in his voice.  
  
"No, but it is my job to handle this guy, unlike you inexperienced hunters with your pathetic little traps. Clever, by the way, that little spaceship planted outside on autopilot. Amusing. It took me a whole fifteen seconds to destroy it. Hope you weren't planning on heading back to Carnival Island anytime soon."  
  
The chameleon stood, jaw dropped. The bee spoke. "How'd you know we were from there?"  
  
"First off, because you just told me. Second, you were crowing at the top of your lungs about it while I was over in the corner. And third, I saw a quick glimpse of you guys and looked up your file on the computer in my car. I know more about you than you do. The armadillo is Mighty, the chameleon is Espio, the reptile is Vector, and you, the bumblebee, are Charmy, probably the smartest guy here, unfortunately. You're hear to avenge the death of your friend Knuckles and want to destroy Sonic for murdering him. Well, I have to say no. The hedgehog is coming with me. I need this a lot more than you and your little grudge do. Stand aside and maybe I won't have to kill you."  
  
"For someone who's outnumbered four to one," Mighty came back, "you sure are confident."  
  
"Yeah," the bounty hunter said with fake fear, "four on one really is unfair in my favor. I've never lost a fight, and I don't plan on starting now."  
  
Mighty charged and threw numerous punches, but the bounty hunter dodged them all like it was nothing. Then, with a quick right hook, the warrior had sent Mighty through the wall of the hut and outside. Then, the armadillo heard something rev up behind him. It was…  
  
"Dear God," muttered Mighty.  
  
Hearing the noise, Espio blurted out, "I thought you destroyed our ship!"  
  
"I did," grinned the bounty hunter. "But I never said anything about my little ship."  
  
"AAAAAHHHH!" screamed Mighty as he streaked back into the house. Less than a second later, a huge black hover car smashed through whatever remained of the wall and continued to chase Mighty, who it seemed to have honed in on. The bounty hunter jumped high over the car and dashed outside. Sonic did the same, but ran out the back way instead. He didn't want to be caught again. But then he remembered Tails, Big, and Amy. They were probably still inside the house. Thinking quickly, he blazed back into the house at top speed, found Mighty, and rammed into him, full force. The armadillo flew out of the house a second time, and the car followed him. With unprecedented speed, Sonic went all through the house, found his three friends, untied them, and ordered them to get out immediately. Then, Sonic ran back outside and made a beeline the center   
  
He knew that he, Big, Tails, and Amy might have a shot at beating the crew from Carnival Island, but the presence of that bounty hunter scared him. That guy was more dangerous than that whole gang combined-and that was saying a lot. He didn't want to risk his chances or the safety of his friends. He could only hope that the others escaped in time.  
  
But when he got to the point where he landed his plane, he found it destroyed. Cut to pieces and scattered across the land. No doubt the work of that bounty hunter again. Sonic shouted a curse and ran off to the dock. And when he got there, he saw the same damage done to his wave runner. This was getting out of hand. This caused a lot of trouble. Tails, Amy, and Big probably went to the plane again, without knowing it was out of commission, and might get caught by either the bounty hunter or the Carnival Island gang. But if he went back, he might get caught. But again, he couldn't risk the safety of his friends.  
  
Like a blue beam of light, he ran back through the forest, bobbed and weaved through the barrage of trees, and got back to the plane. No Tails. No Amy. No Big.  
  
Just the bounty hunter. Sword drawn and prepared for battle.  
  
Sonic groaned. Why did he have to be so thoughtful of others?  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Mystic Minatour  
  
Invisible room. Great. Knuckles had already spent a good hour and a half on the room. He had one hour left to get to the end of the labyrinth. And from what he could see, he wasn't even halfway through the invisible room yet.  
  
Every time he charged to get on a guard marching through the room, he'd slam into a wall. He knew he never could finish it in time. He'd be stuck in this cursed place forever, and the Master Emerald would be out in the open for the taking. And whoever had brought him to this place would be free to kill again.  
  
Wait, he had an idea. (Crystal,) he thought. (Is there a Chaotix power that can distinguish walls? Kinda like a reverse x-ray vision?)  
  
(No,) she said back almost immediately.  
  
(Are you sure?)  
  
(Yes. The Chaotix powers are limited to a Chaotix form, teleportation, and telekinetic speech. I'm sorry, but it's up to your hunting skills.)  
  
(Yeah. Thanks anyway.) Knuckles concentrated on the situation at hand. There had to be some way, some gimmick to get him through.  
  
Of course. He could climb. He could climb his way around the walls. After feeling his way to the nearest wall, he dug his claws into the wall and began to scale towards…  
  
"EEEEARRRRRH!"  
  
Naturally. When life gives you lemons, they're probably electrified. The jolt sent Knuckles flying off the wall and into another one. A similar sound to the one above followed before he collapsed to the ground. He was barely conscious now. Quick, man, think of a plan. Time's running out. What other way can you get out of here.  
  
"Yes!" he coughed. He flipped chest forward to the ground and jammed his ear to the ground. Nothing. No electric thing, not too many enemies. He jumped high in the air and planted his feet to the ceiling. Just before he bounced downward, he shoved his fists forward and got ready to dig. When he got to the ground, he burrowed faster than ever. In less than a second, he was underground. In his domain. Remembering which direction the exit of the room was, he dug. Digging, digging, digging. There's an enemy. Slash, boom, it's gone. No one could beat him beneath ground. Digging, digging, digging. Land mine. Had he kept going above ground, he'd be dead. Luckily, he knew how to do this, too. Within three seconds, the bomb was disabled. Digging, digging, digging. Another set of enemies, gone in a flash. Digging, digging, digging…  
  
A crack. Beneath him. The ground was giving out. But he was already at the lowest point of the ground. How could the earth give out…  
  
The floor disappeared beneath him. Knuckles went down with it. He hit another level beneath him with a thud. God, it felt like his back had split in two. And the ground continued to shake. He braced himself to fall again. But the fall never came. Was it some kind of otherworldly earthquake?  
  
When he looked up, he saw the cause of the shaking. It wasn't an earthquake. Just a whole lot deadlier. Some kind of crossbreed between a bull, a horse, a man, and an eagle-with four arms as well. Knuckles had heard stories about this from his great-great grandfather (echidnas of his type lived longer, so Knuckles even knew his great-great-great grandfather very well). It was the Minatour. But obviously not the same one that was slain in Greek mythology. No, it must have been Hell's version of it, a sick, twisted creation straight from Satan's crazy mind. And it probably had some other surprises as well.  
  
It was the toughest fight of Knuckles' life (or afterlife? He didn't know what it could be called yet). He had about twenty minutes to beat it and reach the final point of the maze (which couldn't be too much further-the Minatour signaled the end of the labyrinth in Greek legend). Lose and he would be stuck in this afterlife forever.  
  
You had to feel sorry for the Minatour.  
  
Tails was carrying Amy by the wrists as he flew. Big waddled along as fast as he could. For a big guy, he sure could run when he needed to.  
  
"Sonic landed the plane right near that old shrine," Amy explained as the wind rushed past her pink quills. "It's not completely totaled, so you should be able to fly us out of here."  
  
"Yeah," Tails said halfheartedly. His confidence in his flying and combat skills had taken a severe beating since he had been shot down by the gang. He was even starting to doubt his ability to fly simple missions like this one. Of course, he couldn't tell Amy or Big that. After all, who would trust someone who couldn't trust himself?  
  
"Hey Tails," Big panted as he ran behind the two, "remember when we were escaping from Eggman's flying base and I flew your ship and crashed it by my house?"  
  
"Fondly," Tails said through gritted teeth. Tails had flown Amy off the Egg Carrier, while Big had hijacked the Tornado 2 (aka the Cyclone) and, having no previous flying experience at all, crashed it by his hut. An airplane shaped crater still remained in Big's front yard. If it hadn't been covered in rubble by now.  
  
"Just turn right here and we should be there," Amy told Tails from below.  
  
"What are you, some kind of backseat driver or something?" Tails said sarcastically.  
  
"No, just a below seat one."  
  
Tails laughed a bit, though it wasn't very funny. But that was the thing with friends-the stupidest and lamest jokes are still a bit funny. Amy and Tails had always been best friends, and even when Sonic was in a bad mood and turned her away, Tails would always be there to back her up. And Tails needed someone to talk to other than Sonic, who he knew was his friend, but he treated like his parent.  
  
"Here we go," Amy told Tails. "Take me down and follow me."  
  
Tails lowered Amy to the ground and the two dashed ahead, Amy running and Tails using his tails to propel him forward. Big was falling behind, but he didn't have to go far to catch up. Because Amy and Tails had stopped dead in their tracks to witness a spectacle and a horror all in one.  
  
Right in front of them, Sonic and the bounty hunter had begun to duke it out in the green forest shrine.  
  
The last time Knuckles checked, the Minatour couldn't conjure fire.  
  
Apparently, he needed to check another history book, because this one could. And he wasted no time in sending Knuckles running from fireballs, geysers exploding from the ground, and spit flame.  
  
Knuckles had to get this guy to stop shooting. Sooner or later, he must run out of power to do that, right?  
  
(Wrong,) Crystal told him in his head. (He has unlimited power.)  
  
(Jeez,) Knuckles responded. (Does he have any weakness at all?)  
  
(If he does, I have never found it.)  
  
Man, Crystal was being a huge help.  
  
(How much time do I have left?) Knuckles thought as he slid under another stream of flame.  
  
(Approximately fifteen minutes,) Crystal replied after a second of thought.  
  
(Thanks for the update. See ya.) With that, Knuckles tried digging underground. He should be able to get closer to the Minatour that way. But just as he was under, he felt something hot behind him. A fireball chasing him in his own tunnel. As the fastest digger on earth, he was just able to outrun the ball of flame. When he finally popped up, the Minatour stood above him. In one swift motion, he grabbed the weary echidna in one arm and began to beat him with the other three. After a few minutes, the Minatour got board and tossed Knuckles across the room. The echidna heard a cracking sound as he slammed into the wall and he knew immediately that he had broken his right leg. Struggling to keep the pain from his face, he turned to the Minatour on his hands and feet. If only he had the Master Emerald with him, he could go into his Chaotix form and heal his wound. But he had limited Chaotix powers without the Emerald and could not do this. Just teleport and talk to Crystal.  
  
Wait-yes! Since he couldn't run, he could teleport around the room to attack the Minatour. It was risky, because if he accidentally landed on the leg, he was done for-he couldn't take any more pain like that. But he needed to take the chance. He only had about thirteen minutes left before he was trapped here forever.  
  
Warping around the Minatour seemed to confuse him. Every time he tossed a fireball at him, Knuckles was in another part of the room. To keep off the foot, Knuckles began to glide, allowing him to stay in the air when he teleported. Finally, when he saw the Minatour was dizzy, he zoomed in and began to pound him with his fists. Just as he knew the Minatour was going to counterattack, he warped away and landed a roundhouse kick (with the left leg) to the back of the beast's head. Then, Knuckles witnessed something he never thought he'd see. The Minatour fell.  
  
Was this it? Was this the monster he'd heard so much about, on the ground after a simple kick. No, it was too weak. There had to be some catch.  
  
There was. The Minatour rose again, his eyes black and angry, growling and moaning. Now both of his hands held fireballs, which he shot on opposite sides of the room. The balls bounced around the room, careening off walls. Knuckles knew this was trouble. Teleporting might not be enough here. The Minatour kept pumping out fireballs, and soon the room was filled with fire ricocheting off everything except for the two combatants.  
  
It was up to gliding now. Swimming through the river of fire in the air, he aimed for the Minatour. Apparently, the monster was fireproof, because every shot that hit him did nothing. It took a big swing at Knuckles with one of its arms, which Knuckles floated over. He quickly had to duck under an incoming fireball, then twirl around to dodge a punch by the Minatour. This was getting out of hand. He threw a single punch, then felt the sting of a fireball. Just more proof he couldn't do anything without being hit. The ball sent him to the ground again, luckily not on his bad leg. He teleported again, but was immediately hit by a fireball that was right where he wanted to be.  
  
(Five minutes,) Crystal told him. Knuckles didn't respond. With that limited time left, he needed another plan and he needed it fast.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
I'm a Spy  
  
"Ooh…" Mighty said, rubbing his head.  
  
"Good, he's awake," said Espio.  
  
"Thank God," Charmy muttered. "I thought we'd lost him."  
  
"…Huh?…" Mighty groaned. "What's going on? Where's the hedgehog…?"  
  
"Everyone got away," Vector responded, a little downcast. "That car distracted us long enough for them to escape?"  
  
"Everyone?"  
  
"Yep. The hedgehog, the swordsman, the hostages, everyone. We thought you were dead after that beating you took."  
  
Mighty was instantly up.  
  
"Man, I'm invincible! No one can kill me. I fear God and no one else!"  
  
"Now that's the Mighty we know," Espio chuckled.  
  
"Where'd the little rodents go?" he growled.  
  
"That-a-way," Vector said, pointing in one direction. Anticipating Mighty's next move, Vector, Espio, and Charmy dashed ahead just as Mighty passed them. Charmy led the way to a forest shrine.  
  
Where Sonic's friends were. Where they watched on as Sonic and the swordsman battled.  
  
"Mr. President, this situation with Sonic the Hedgehog is getting critical. Our police force and even the military cannot find him, and even if they did they have almost no means of capturing him for a long enough period of time to have him go on trial."  
  
"What is the situation with our test force?"  
  
"We have heard nothing from Blade Kasille since 4:00 this morning. We do not know his status or location."  
  
"Does anyone else know where this Sonic the Hedgehog is? Any readings at all?"  
  
"The closest connection we had to his location was with Mr. Kasille."  
  
"Damn. Any suggestions?"  
  
"Well, there is the new member…"  
  
"No. Never. You know the disaster that occurred when we last trusted her with a mission. We were two hours away from having the entire world conquered by some tyrannical maniac."  
  
"With all due respect, Mr. President, that tyrannical maniac is now a well respected politician and has vowed to atone his sins and wipe out any and all crime."  
  
"I'll bet. Even so, two hours! I could barely get up to New Jersey in a car in two hours. Still, I can't believe that hedgehog turned so quickly…"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Oh, sorry. Now, are there any other options for tracking Sonic down?"  
  
"The best possible solution is with our new member."  
  
"Are you absolutely positive? I want to keep her out of this at all costs."  
  
"Negative, sir. The rest of the staff believes our best chance is with her."  
  
"Fine. Bring her in."  
  
The contact came out of the President's office and walked up to the "new member," smiling.  
  
"Alright, Rouge, you're in."  
  
The bat smiled, her fangs showing more than ever.  
  
Five minutes. Just five minutes. In any other case, five minutes would be plenty of time for Knuckles to K.O. this creep, but with all the odds stacked against him-broken leg, room of bouncing fireballs-he was really pushing it. He still had the power of teleportation and telekinetic communicating with Crystal, but teleporting didn't help when every square inch was covered in flame and Crystal wasn't proving to be a huge help. There had to be some way to beat it. Some weakness. But he decided it was time to face the music. This thing had no weaknesses he could exploit. He'd simply have to overpower it.  
  
"All right, you big oaf," Knuckles muttered, "time to meet your maker."  
  
(Four min-)  
  
(Please shut up,) Knuckles responded. (I'm trying to avoid death and being trapped in this place for all eternity, and I have no time to do it.)  
  
Knuckles wouldn't hear from Crystal again.  
  
It was time to play a bit of the defensive. He was hopping on one foot, but he still felt confident. With all the fireballs around him, he was forced to jump and bend around a lot of blasts. He had about no time to attack the Minatour itself. Didn't these things ever dissolve or anything? Then he noticed them getting smaller and smaller after every bounce off the wall, floor, or ceiling. If he could just wait it out a few more minutes, he'd have another minute to hammer the Minatour and reach the exit.  
  
His theory worked. After two more minutes, all the fireballs were gone. A surprised and tired Minatour had nothing left in the tank. Knuckles vanished and reappeared just below the Minatour to perform an amazing sweep to compensate for his broken right leg. The Minatour fell, and would never get up-mainly because Knuckles transported above him and beat him down with fists of fury. After a minute of nonstop pounding, the Minatour began to glow. Almost instinctively, Knuckles teleported away to the opposite of the room. Good thing, too, because after a few seconds of bright glowing, the Minatour lit on fire. Knuckles took this opportunity to look around the room for an exit. A single slim hallway appeared. He wished himself to the entrance, then to the end. The second request was not fulfilled. He could not understand for a second, then realized the end of the hall was the exit. He'd have to hop the rest of the way-not good, considering he had less than a minute to get down it.  
  
The only thing Knuckles could hope for was that he didn't have far to go.  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Payoff  
  
Rouge waltzed into the President's room instead of knocking, which is what everyone else did. "You wanted to see me?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, Rouge. Sit down," the President said sternly. Rouge did so, then flipped her hand to cool herself off.  
  
"Wow, hot as hell today, ain't it Prez?" she asked casually. Anyone else wouldn't dare do this kind of thing, but Rouge knew she was irreplaceable. No one else could match her stealth abilities.  
  
"Um…yes, it is. Rouge, I have to ask you something."  
  
"You want me to get in on this Sonic the Hedgehog case, right?"  
  
"Why yes, I do. How did you know?" the President asked, immediately realizing he sounded really stupid doing so.  
  
"Wild guess. What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Just track him. We already have a bounty hunter out for him, but I don't know if he can get the job done. Just get a lead, hunt him down, and keep him in one place long enough for us to get a squad in to catch him."  
  
Rouge was sacrificing a lot for this. Sonic had saved the world so many times before it was hard to believe he had done any of those things. But he had killed Knuckles and even confessed to it, and she had to anything to avenge him. Of course, she wouldn't let anyone in the government know about her attraction to the echidna, or they'd start questioning her. And before you knew it, she'd be the one accused of murder.  
  
"All right, Prez. How about the payout?"  
  
"We're offering the bounty hunter $50,000."  
  
"I want $60K."  
  
"How about $50K and we don't tell anyone about your little robberies?"  
  
Rouge knew that was a bluff. If the President revealed that one of their agents was a criminal, they'd suffer most. Plus, Rouge could escape from even the toughest prisons.  
  
"In your dreams, Prez. $55K."  
  
"$50K and a promotion to the head of a new squad we're forming."  
  
Rouge's eyes lit up at the thought of her own band of thieves…er, agents.  
  
"Fine. We have a deal."  
  
How much longer did this tunnel go?  
  
Knuckles was scrambling to the end of the long tunnel that hopefully meant the end of the labyrinth. He was starting to lose himself. Crystal had been babbling to him about something for the past minute or two, but he wasn't paying attention. All his mind was thinking was "Get to the end and get the hell out of here right now, you idiot. In one minute, you'll be trapped here for eternity.  
  
It was like a sci-fi film where the hero runs out of a tunnel with a ball of flame coming behind him. Except Knuckles couldn't tell exactly how much time he had left. You never knew.  
  
Finally, his arms and one leg exhausted, he collapsed.  
  
Why can't I do this, Knuckles thought. I've never failed at anything before. It's that stupid leg! I've never broken anything before in my life! I just wish I hadn't broken it, I just wish it was fine again!  
  
And it was.  
  
Rouge flew high over the Mystic Ruins. If she knew Sonic, he'd probably be somewhere around here asking his fox boy friend for help. And if she remembered correctly, the workshop was right around here. This was going to be easier than she thought. Get in, get out, get her Knuckles a good funeral, and then settle down, get a good house and just chill for a bit. Naturally, she didn't expect herself to keep working with the government and the President. Once this was over, she'd make thousands, maybe millions, spilling government secrets, then return to her normal line of work-thievery. But it was time for one last adventure.  
  
When she finally found the blue rodent, he was bouncing around near an airplane with what appeared to be that bounty hunter that she had heard so much about. She slowly lowered to the ground.  
  
"All right, Blade," she yelled down to him. "Playtime's over, let the woman handle the job."  
  
Blade looked completely offended by this, rightfully so.  
  
"Hey batgirl, I'm on official government business and I saw him first."  
  
"Guess what, I'm also from the government, and I'm the head of my own squad, so buzz off." She hadn't completely lied-once this Sonic deal was done with, she would be.  
  
"I could care less. Move out of here or you're next."  
  
"Now that's not the proper way to talk to a lady," Rouge taunted.  
  
Blade smirked. "If you can be called a lady."  
  
Rouge frowned and swooped down towards Blade. Of course this wasn't going to work-Blade had trained too well to be hit by something so flagrant as this. He easily sidestepped out of the way and turned to look at her and the…  
  
"Wait, where's the hedgehog?!?" he shouted.  
  
Rouge was rubbing her head from crashing into a nearby tree. "He probably got away because you were too busy getting in my way.  
  
"Shaddup, I've been following him for a day now, and if you hadn't interfered, he'd probably be in custody now."  
  
"Okay big man, back up your big mouth and let's fight."  
  
Blade wagged a finger. "Oh no. I'm not going for that. That hedgehog and the reward are mine, and you aren't getting in my way any more."  
  
And without another word, he was gone. In his nifty little hover car and speeding off into the forest.  
  
Blade. So there was a name to the terror, Sonic thought as he escaped to Tails' workshop with the others. "Tails, my man, you got any more contraptions that can get us out of here?"  
  
Tails thought for almost an eternity. "Yeah, there's one last plane in the garage. It's a bit smaller, but I'll bet we could fit us all in there."  
  
"And Big?" Amy said incredulously.  
  
The fox's face sagged.  
  
"Speaking of which," Sonic wondered aloud, "where is the big oaf?"  
  
The others turned and all saw that Big had fallen behind. Far behind.  
  
"We can't wait for him anymore," Amy yelled ahead.  
  
Sonic nodded. "He can take care of himself. Tails, get to the garage and get that plane revved up," he added, as he noticed they were nearly there.  
  
"Hey guys, wait…up…!" Big panted, but there was no use. They were too far ahead. He stopped to catch his breath. Eventually, a black flying machine zipped up next to him, and someone jumped out of it. Big instantly recognized that guy with the sword.  
  
The man used incredible strength to grab Big by the neck and hoist him high into the air.  
  
"Okay tubby tabby," Blade growled, "where'd the rodent and his friends go."  
  
Big instantly regretted it, but his gullible self blurted out the answer.  
  
"They're goin' to Tails' workshop," he gasped. "To get a plane. That way," he added, pointing to the west.  
  
Blade, satisfied with the response, hurled Big through a tree and sped off. Big was unconscious before he hit the tree.   
  
Chapter 12  
  
The Lowest Treason  
  
As Sonic boarded Tails' plane, he realized it took him an almost Herculean effort to hop in. He was exhausted. He needed a break. The moment they took off, he dozed off.  
  
Knuckles wasted a couple valuable seconds examining his leg. It was still swollen, to be sure, but he could walk on it. After realizing he had no time left, he ran on. Faster than he ever could before in his life. It was true-bones do heal stronger.  
  
Just as he reached the light, the beam that should have teleported him out, someone got in his way. She was a beautiful woman with blue eyes and hair…  
  
"Crystal?"  
  
"I can't let you leave," she stammered.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" he screamed. "Outta my way!"  
  
Crystal shook her head. "I can't let you leave," she repeated.  
  
"You're nuts!" he yelled. "Get out of my way or I'll throttle you!" He immediately realized that wouldn't do anything. Crystal was stuck here, even if she died again. So Knuckles teleported past her. But, of course, what he could do, she could as well. She morphed back in front of him.  
  
"I can't let you leave," she said again.  
  
"God!" He ran ahead, but the light was gone. He had run out of time. "You *&%$&$! moron!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. And then, he did something he-nor Crystal-could believe.  
  
"Oh…my…God…" she whispered.  
  
Knuckles only knew that he had a greenish glow emitting from him, and instantly he was gone.  
  
Mighty, Espio, Vector, and Charmy stood there for a long time. Vector was the first to speak.  
  
"What the hell just happened?"  
  
"If I knew," Espio muttered, "I would have said something by now."  
  
"What's the next move, Mighty?" Charmy asked.  
  
Mighty was silent for a good few minutes. Then, he slowly let out his answer.  
  
"I have no clue."  
  
"Sonic!"  
  
Wha…what?  
  
"SONIC!"  
  
"WHAT?!?"  
  
"HELP!"  
  
Sonic woke with a start. Amy was dangling from the side of the plane.  
  
"Good Lord!" he shouted. He grabbed her by the hand and yanked her up. "What happened?"  
  
"You fell asleep," Amy explained, "and since I had to sit on your lap because Tails only has two seats in this thing, I lost balance when Tails had to take a quick little move."  
  
"And why did Tails have to do a quick little move?" Sonic asked incredulously.   
  
"Because someone's shooting at us," Tails yelled back to the pair. "Hold on, we have to land."  
  
Sonic just realized the hail of gunfire that was whizzing past his head. He ducked and just prayed Tails could land the plane safely. Staring at the floor for almost a half hour, he became more and more nervous, worried that the next shot would hit him, Amy, Tails, or the plane. But Tails kept his composure and managed to down the craft safely in a forest area. Sonic recognized it almost immediately as Prison Island, and it seemed like Tails and Amy knew it, too. Sonic had been taken here before when he had been mistaken for Shadow. Tails and Amy had broken him out before.  
  
"Oh boy," Sonic groaned, getting out of the airplane quickly. "Prison Island revisited. You know I'm just so happy to be back here again."  
  
"Hey, sue me," Tails retorted, shrugging his shoulders. "We needed to get out of the sky and this was the closest place. This plane doesn't have any weapons, it's strictly a transport vehicle."  
  
"Fair enough," Sonic said, not satisfied with Tails' response whatsoever. "So let's get out of here. I'm sure they saw us come down here. Amy," he asked, turning to the pink hedgehog, "do you still have that G.U.N. access card?"  
  
Amy's head fell and shook. "I left it at my condo," she sighed.  
  
Wonderful, Sonic thought. Amy had bragged all summer about that card and kept showing it to Sonic, and now that they needed it, she didn't have it. That was Amy for you.  
  
"Alright, is there another way in? We need to hide out for a bit."  
  
Tails immediately perked up. "I think there's a backway," he suggested. "I can download the map from my computer at home."  
  
"You kiddin'?" Sonic chuckled, even though he knew he wasn't. Tails was just brilliant with this kind of stuff. "Bring it on."  
  
A few minutes and keyboard clicks later, Tails showed him the map. "There's a back entrance. Not really an official entrance, but it's a blind spot in their security. You wanna try it?"  
  
"I do. But I don't want you to come with me."  
  
"Why not?" Tails and Amy said together. Sonic immediately realized there was no point in trying to stop them. He'd be able to get in a lot easier if he didn't have two other people trailing him.  
  
"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "C'mon."  
  
Tails helped them in. The fox used a little laser he had in the plane to burn a small hole in the steel wall. Not big enough for the average human, but enough for a couple of woodland creatures like them. Sonic slipped through first, followed by Tails and Amy. They tried to find an empty cell or storage room, but nothing. Ducking past different security measures, Sonic immediately realized this was a bad idea-essentially heading into the belly of the beast to hide. There had to be…  
  
"Freeze!"  
  
Sonic instinctively prepared to run, but that would mean leaving Tails and Amy behind. Dammit! He knew he shouldn't have brought them in. He was surrounded, nowhere to go. Every officer had a gun pointed to his head. And pushing his way to the front was none other than…  
  
"Well," Blade grinned, "we meet again, rodent."  
  
Sonic said nothing. Blade continued. "I guess you finally caved in to the pressure. Too much stress can make you make stupid mistakes like this."  
  
Sonic growled and gritted his teeth as one of the military men cuffed him. Then he hear something he never thought he'd ever hear ever.  
  
"Good job, fox."  
  
The voice was Blade's. It was intended for Tails. It was only then that Sonic realized he and Amy were the only ones being handcuffed-Tails was still free.  
  
"Tails, what is this jerk talking about?" Sonic demanded.  
  
The fox said nothing. The bounty hunter smiled. "Your friend has defected to the good guys. He decided to stop your little ring of evil."  
  
"EVIL? Tails, is this guy serious?"  
  
Tears welling up in his eyes, Tails made the faintest motion of a nod. "There's more to this than you-"  
  
Sonic couldn't believe it.  
  
"NO!!!!"  
  
Sonic grabbed Amy and tossed her high in the air, then sprung forward towards Blade's drawn sword. Jutting his hands forward, he barely missed the blade. But his handcuffs had hit it. With his hands now free now that the cuffs had been separated, he caught Amy and quickly did a spin dash to cut her cuffs. All the while, the officers had no clue what to do. Blade was screaming at them to fire, but the troops just stood in amazement. They didn't begin to fire until Sonic was running at top speed, Amy in his arms. By then, it was too late. Blade chased them as well, but he had no chance of catching up. Sonic looked back at Tails, his former friend.  
  
"I'll be back for you, traitor," he muttered under his breath, too quiet for even Amy to hear.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Mental Breakdown  
  
The sky was blurry for a bit. Then, Knuckles could make out a blue sky. Only a few cumulus clouds were scattered across the blueness. He started to get up, then…  
  
"OW!"  
  
It was his leg.  
  
It was broken again.  
  
How did that happen?  
  
Then, he realized it. He was home at last.  
  
Which also meant, probably, that everything that happened in Dimension 8.75 never really happened. Except for the fact that the next time he died, it was for real. Which also meant his leg was still broken.  
  
"But shouldn't it be healed then?" Knuckles thought. If nothing from 8.75 really happened, then why did his leg still hurt if it happened then? Maybe it was natural stuff. You can break your leg on Earth, but you can't heal a leg mentally in real life. "Ugh…" he moaned. All this deduction was hurting his head. Let's just go Chaotix and heal this thing, he thought. And he did. Strangely, he felt like he had done this before. But he didn't remember doing anything like it. Whatever. In a second, he was Chaotix again, and his leg was healed. He quickly powered down. No point in wasting energy. He had to find out who "killed" him and where they were.  
  
He didn't have to look far.  
  
The moment he took off for Capital City, he saw helicopters swirling around. He had to lie low. If his death was such a big deal, seeing the dead alive was going to be trouble. Knuckles lowered himself to the ground slowly. He saw a flashing neon sign near a building that said it all.  
  
On it was the city's most wanted.  
  
The first person it listed was Sonic the Hedgehog.  
  
Blade stood there for a long time, the fox and the troops behind him. He couldn't believe it. He had him cornered. No way out. And he pulled yet another Houdini act.  
  
"Dammit," he muttered under his breath.  
  
"What's the matter?" a familiar female voice said from above. "Even with your little pals, you're nothing."  
  
It was the batgirl.  
  
"You…" he growled.  
  
"I think it's my turn," she said cockily  
  
"Oh no," he told her. "This is my job."  
  
"Not anymore," she sassed back. "Take a look at this thing." She handed a sheet of paper to Blade. Most of it was specifics, but what stood out were these parts:  
  
"Section 5-3: The control of Squad 65B, currently led by unofficial bounty hunter Blade Kasille of unknown heritage, will be handed over to Rouge the Bat, former government spy and operative. This change is to take place immediately following certain aforementioned world events."  
  
"Section 5-6: Previously mentioned bounty hunter Blade Kasille will be taken off of his current case, the capture of Capital City's most wanted, Sonic the Hedgehog, and its second most wanted, Amy Rose. If Mr. Kasille interferes with government efforts to capture Sonic or Ms. Rose anytime after this statement is issued, he will face penalty of law with a sentence of up to 10 years in prison."  
  
Signed by the President himself.  
  
Blade couldn't believe it.  
  
"No…" he stammered. "No…no…no…"  
  
"But yes," Rouge smirked with that devilish grin that showed her fangs. "Your group belongs to me, and you are out of a job. So if you could be so kind as to get out of my way, there's a rodent to catch. Come on, boys," she called to the assembled squad of troops. She flew ahead, leading the group of about thirty five down the hallway Sonic had just recently exited.  
  
Blade knew the troops would never catch Sonic here.  
  
"No.." he muttered again.  
  
"NO!!!!!"  
  
He was so close. If he just held on to the hedgehog, he would be able to turn him in, get his money, and never fight again. Now it would take ten jobs to make up for the one he just screwed up.  
  
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!"  
  
Tails tried to comfort him.  
  
"There's still a chance, if we pretend we never read the statement…"  
  
Blade slowly turned towards him.  
  
"I will NOT," he growled, "turn into a low-life murderer like your friends."  
  
Tails was infuriated. "Sonic and Amy didn't kill anyone, and you know it!"  
  
"If I knew it," Blade countered, "would I have spent the last few days trying to arrest them for their charges?"  
  
"Sonic," Tails repeated, "is not a killer. He saved this planet twice. Why would he try to kill people on it now?"  
  
"Why does anyone try to kill anyone else?!?" Blade screamed. "Vengeance? Not always! How about the thrill of the moment? Maybe your little thrill-seeker friend needed another fun little stunt to pull!"  
  
Tails was about to respond when he stopped. Was Blade right? It was possible. Sonic was known to do crazy stuff, but this crazy?  
  
"No way."  
  
"You believe it!" Blade nearly laughed.  
  
"No, I don't!"  
  
"You paused! You were thinking about it! You know your friend did all this for the fun of it! And he dragged his little girlfriend into it, too! If you truly believed he was not a killer, or a terrorist, you would have instantly talked back, but you had to think a minute, didn't you?"  
  
Tails said nothing, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.  
  
"DIDN'T YOU?!?!?!?"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Tails shouted back, now crying.  
  
"Why did you help me catch him then?" Blade yelled. "It obviously wasn't because you cared for him, was it?"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Tails repeated.  
  
"Admit it! You know your friend is a murderer!"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Tails ran out of the base, and seconds later was in his plane, flying back to the Mystic Ruins.  
  
When Tails had left, Blade jammed his sword into the ground, knelt down, and leaned on the edge of it.  
  
"If I'm to continue with my plan," Blade said to himself, "I have to think of some other way to keep up this mission. This is a big breakthrough, and if I finish it, I'll knock three or four years off hunting and add three or four years to our relationship. I have to get Cassie back, however I can."  
  
He dashed off to his hovercar to make an interplanetary message. It was going to take a genius to think something like this up. And luckily, he had a friend back on Morphos who fit the bill nicely.  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Newfound Trust  
  
Evading security measures, dashing out of the base, and running up walls was almost automatic for Sonic in this situation. It was like his body was on autopilot. Sonic wasn't even thinking about it, and he was pulling off these moves. His mental focus was on what had just happened.  
  
"Why?" he thought, nearly crying. "Why, why, why, why, why, why…?" Tails was his best friend. How could he have sold him out like that? How, how, how, how, how, how…?  
  
Then, he thought of the bigger picture as he blasted through a security robot that happened to be in his way. Knuckles was obviously dead, because of him, according to conventional wisdom. Rouge was working for the government again, and because of her close relationship with Knuckles, she probably would try to take him out before he could ask her for help. He really wished Shadow were around, had survived the Space Colony, but there had been no news about him ever since then, so he had to assume he, too, was dead. Tails had just betrayed him. Big was there, but he probably wouldn't be of any help whatsoever-in fact, Sonic had no clue what was going on with him after they had left the ruins. If he got left behind with the bounty hunter, Blade, there was a good chance that he was dead as well. There was the Gamma robot that had apparently saved Amy on the Egg Carrier, but Sonic assumed he had been destroyed one way or another. In theory, his only remaining ally was Amy.  
  
But wait! Chaos was back in the Master Emerald, as was Tikal. If Knuckles were dead, then the Master Emerald was up for grabs! He could go to Angel Island and destroy the Emerald, thus freeing them. After what he had done for them a couple years ago, they owed it to him.  
  
"SONIC! LOOK OUT!" a piercing voice shot into his ear. It was Amy, freaking out about something insignificant again. Just a couple more defense robots, these ones with shields. No problem. A couple rolling attacks, and he was free. He blasted out of the last door just as it began to close on him, as a siren signaling for a lockdown sounded.  
  
As he exited, he looked up to see a fleet of fighter planes swoop down on the harbor, dropping bombs.  
  
"Ah," Sonic chuckled, "just like old times." He weaved in and out of the bombs, Amy still in tow. His arms were beginning to give out from carrying he so far. Although he'd never show it on his face, he was getting worried. Could he still escape without losing Amy, or himself? That last bomb had come dangerously close to hitting. It felt like part of his skin had been burned.  
  
"BEEEEAAARRRRM!"  
  
Another bomb exploded just behind him. There had to be some way off the island! How had he escaped again? Oh yeah, it was the missile. Sonic looked around for it and finally saw a huge missile. But what were the odds they would launch it again at the exact moment he needed it? There had to be another way. Tails had taken his plane already, so there was only one choice. He had to hijack one of the military's fighters in the garage.  
  
More exhausted than ever, he ran over to the garage and found a suitable plane-small and probably quick. Just as he opened the cockpit to get in…  
  
"Hold it right there," a voice muttered. Someone had popped out from the plane with a shotgun. Behind him, he heard the click of many more troops behind him, along with the laugh of Rouge.  
  
A couple minutes ago, Sonic might have been able to perform another disappearing act and escape one more, but he was too tired. He tried to talk a valiant way out.  
  
"Fine, I surrender," Sonic murmured. "But let Amy go. She's done nothing."  
  
Rouge gave that bat smile of hers once more. "Now why would I do that, if I could get both of you and increase my reward money?"  
  
Sonic thought quickly. "Because you owe it to me."  
  
Rouge was silent for a second. "You killed Knuckles. I can't let you get away with it."  
  
Sonic's face fell. It would be too hard to escape from anywhere if he had to take Amy with him again.  
  
"But your friend has not," she finished. "I believe that part of it."  
  
She turned to her squad. "Let the pink one go."  
  
"Wait," Sonic stopped them. "How is she going to get off this island with those planes? The way she got here is now gone."  
  
Rouge reverted back to her evil self. "Hey, you said to let her go. You said nothing about how she was going to get off."  
  
"Sonic" Amy whispered into his ear, now more scared than ever. "I get freaked out easily, but this is serious. I don't know if I can do this." This was probably the first time Sonic heard real fear in her voice. She was terrified, not just for her own life, but for his.  
  
Sonic turned to look at her face once more. Even in its scared state, it looked beautiful. He quickly shook the thought out of his mind again. Focus, hedgehog, focus.  
  
"Remember when you saved that bird on the Egg Carrier after you destroyed that robot?" Sonic said softly.  
  
Amy nodded, still shuddering.  
  
"You probably didn't think you could do that, did you? But you pulled it off! You did it! It's just like that now. You don't think you can escape this place, but you're an amazing person! You can do some pretty amazing things. You'll find a way out, don't worry!"  
  
The fear slowly faded from Amy's face, but still remained a little scared. Then, she cracked a tiny smile.  
  
"You be careful," she responded. Then, she wrapped her arms around him. Sonic hugged her as well.  
  
Rouge was not enjoying this at all.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, lubby dubby and all that good stuff. You are under arrest, Sonic, so don't get too cozy with your girlfriend. You, pinky, get out of here."  
  
Amy turned to Sonic one last time and nodded. Then, she ran out to the harbor of exploding missiles and bombs from above. Sonic wanted to stay, make sure Amy would be alright, but he was grabbed by a couple of the troops and cuffed again.  
  
"Get him in a transport," Rouge said. "And put him in the trunk." She laughed maniacally.  
  
Sonic scowled at her. "You're loving every minute of this, aren't you?"  
  
Rouge shook her head, still smiling. "I don't have to tell you that. Government confidentiality. Now let's roll."  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Genius In Da Hood  
  
Blade brought up his com link in his hovercar. After about five minutes of trying to get the right radio wave frequency, he finally got his transmission through to Morphos. After that, a quick dial of a ten digit number got him to the person he wanted. A young black man appeared on the monitor of the com link.  
  
"Yo."  
  
"'Giff, it's me," Blade muttered.  
  
"Is it?" RaGiff looked astonished. "Leo, my man, where you been?"  
  
"Quit with the Leo thing," Blade hissed. "You know better than me anyone could pick this up."  
  
"Oh right," RaGiff rolled his eyes. "Can't have anyone know who you're actually called, can ya? Hold on a sec." RaGiff put Blade on hold. The "Never Scared" music video appeared on the monitor. Blade bopped his head to the slow beat.  
  
Time for a little background. RaGiff and Blade were best friends, having met each other in sixth grade after Blade had changed schools. The two caught on instantly. They had both been drafted into the Mobius army during each of the two Great Wars of Mobius, but an unexpected formality had allowed RaGiff to stay at home both times. Blade knew that this unexpected formality had been set up by RaGiff himself, and he was angry that he didn't get him out of it, too. Which brings us to how RaGiff had made this formality. Despite his outward appearance of being a young black rapper from the ghetto, RaGiff was probably one of the smartest, if not the smartest, man on all of Morphos. In fact, he became the youngest man to ever win the Quinshar Award in Technology. (Note: The Quinshar Award is equivalent to our Nobel Prize) He was 20 when he won that award for advancements in communication and transportation. In fact, the hovercar that Blade sat in at that very moment, War Machine, and its carrier ship, had been built by RaGiff to help him around the galaxy. It had been three years since RaGiff had won the award, and not much less since Blade had spoken with him. It brought back some memories of their younger years.  
  
The music video disappeared. RaGiff reappeared on the screen.  
  
"Well, if it ain't my old bro!" he shouted. "How's it been going? Still in the hunting biz, or didja find yo girl yet?"  
  
Blade's face fell. RaGiff quickly added, "Sorry, man. Just wanted to know, y'know, keep in touch…"  
  
"Nah, it's okay," said Blade. "I was gonna ask if you heard anything, but I guess not."  
  
"Sorry, bro."  
  
"Alright." He perked up. "Listen, I was hoping that you could he…that you could….I wanted some advice."  
  
"Advice?" RaGiff asked incredulously. "That wouldn't be another way of asking for help from little ol' RaGiff, would it?" The black man grinned.  
  
Blade returned the grin. "Yeah, I guess."  
  
Unable to wait for the excitement of a challenge, RaGiff quickly asked, "Okay, first off, where are you?"  
  
"Earth."  
  
"Ooh, big blue, eh? Who you hunting this time?"  
  
"Some hedgehog. Name's Sonic."  
  
"Yeah, I heard of him," RaGiff told him. "Supposed to be faster than light or something. I can look up more stuff on him if you wanna."  
  
"No need. I know pretty much everything I need. What I need you to do is find a way for me to be allowed to capture him legally. The government threw me off the case. I need that money."  
  
"Then tell them you didn't know they threw you off," RaGiff responded, as if it were the mot obvious thing in the world (which it really was).  
  
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to that."  
  
"You just have to hold up that lie. Leave everything else to me. I'll call you when I have something interesting to tell you." RaGiff cut off the connection. Blade was angry for a second at his friend's lighthearted approach to the situation, then thought better of it. RaGiff had never failed him before-except that one time in high school when he crashed the computer system and kept Blade from printing out his English composition on time. If RaGiff said he had things under control, everything was probably just fine.  
  
Mighty led his posse through the Mystic Ruins. This was not good. They had lost Sonic, the bounty hunter, and the other government person. Now they had no clue where anyone was. Until they found the purple cat in the forest again. He was rubbing his head and moaning when Mighty approached him.  
  
"All right, fatso," Mighty began, but was knocked back by a harsh right hook from the cat.  
  
"Uh uh," he boomed. "I'm not tellin' you nothing. I fell for that once, I ain't doin' it again."  
  
Mighty was now the one rubbing his head. But after a second, he was up again.  
  
"You little…" he muttered, walking towards the large cat. Mighty threw a hard punch that was caught in the colossal paw of the cat. Frantically, the armadillo threw another punch caught again by the cat. In an awesome show of power, the cat lifted Mighty over his head and threw him high over the trees, further than the eye could see. A loud thud signaled that Mighty had landed. Espio, Vector, and Charmy immediately thought he was dead.  
  
The feline looked furious.  
  
"Who else wants a piece of Big the Cat?!?" he bellowed. "You?" he asked Espio rhetorically.  
  
"Get to the fighters!" yelled the chameleon. Charmy and Vector ran just behind him, followed by Big. But when the Chaotix gang reached the point where their fighters should have been, they remembered. The bounty hunter Blade had destroyed them and the carrier ship already. They found themselves pinned between the side of a mountain, a pyramid, a wall of trees, and Big.  
  
Big cracked his knuckles. "Who's next?"  
  
"We're dead, aren't we?" Vector muttered to Espio.  
  
Espio couldn't respond. Because Big had him in his grasp already.  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Whose Side Is He On?  
  
Tails was sobbing uncontrollably back at his workshop. Traitor! That's what he was now, a traitor to his best friend and his cause! He had tried to work it out so everyone was happy, tried to make the bounty hunter happy and Sonic. He was going to try to make everything okay. But something went wrong, something he should have anticipated-Sonic escaped! Now the bounty hunter Blade was furious and Sonic was free to invoke any kind of revenge he saw fit! Unless something surprising happened, the only true friend he had was Amy-and she would be torn between the two sides. If Sonic had just been captured, the bounty hunter would be satisfied, and Tails would be able to set him free-then everyone would be happy! But now…oh, now what? He cried for a good twenty minutes until his cell phone rang. "The Authority Song" played until Tails answered.  
  
"He…hello-?" he got out.  
  
"Yo, kiddo, you wanna get yo home dawg back?" a rapper's voice answered back.  
  
"What? What are you talking about?"  
  
"No need to tell you that now, man. Just listen to me and everything'll be cool."  
  
This would be hilarious if it wasn't a close friend. Vector, Mighty, and Charmy could only watch as the giant cat nearly smashed Espio into tiny pieces. He came with so many offensive maneuvers, it was almost like watching those cartoon wrestling matches. Finally, the hapless chameleon lay on the ground.  
  
"Who's next?" the feline boomed.  
  
A large military private chucked Sonic into a rusty cell aboard a large carrier plane. The hedgehog slammed against the steel wall of the cell, sending pain searing through his body.  
  
"Man," he muttered, pointing to the soldier, "I will sue you."  
  
The soldier gave a slight chuckle before turning away. He slammed the door shut and left. Unlike other cell doors, which simply had bars, this one was pure steel with a nearly microscopic window near the top. Just seconds after the troop had left, the door opened again. A different guy showed up, obviously of higher rank due to his uniform being flooded in badges. Plus, his hat looked cooler. If you didn't get a cooler hat for a higher rank, Sonic didn't want to be in the military.  
  
"You have a phone call, Mr. Hedgehog," the troop sneered, his red eyes narrowing and his old, craggily face becoming even more wrinkly. This guy was an oldie for sure.. Sonic gave him his best "What the hell is your problem?" look and grabbed the cell phone in his hands.  
  
"Yo."  
  
"Yo."  
  
This was bad, Sonic thought. No one answered with "yo" except for Knuckles. Who was this guy?  
  
"I know the situation you're in," the voice on the other end said. He sounded like a young black man. "I'm willing to help, but only if you willing to follow my lead."  
  
"Who are you?" Sonic asked.  
  
"No time for that. I just know you innocent and I'm gonna get you out."  
  
"Okay, what do I do?"  
  
The soldier looked a little suspicious, but did nothing. After all, what harm could a simple phone call cause?  
  
"Here's watcha do," the man on the other end said. "Inside your little steel cot thing is a little communication link. The cot opens just like a chest. Don't go for it yet, or the military peoples will take it from you. Once you get it, press the green button, not the red one, 'k then?"  
  
"What, does the red one blow it up?"  
  
"Shut up, you say stuff about buttons and crap and the law man will get to wondering."  
  
"Got it."  
  
"Good. That soldier won't give you any more time, so get it right after he leaves. Talk to ya later."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Time's up!" bellowed the soldier. He snatched the phone from Sonic and prepared to leave.  
  
"Who was that, anyway?" the soldier snickered "Your girlfriend giving you a last call?"  
  
Sonic smiled back and turned away.  
  
"That wasn't a rhetorical question," the soldier growled.  
  
"Lawyer," Sonic grumbled, his slightly good mood spoiled. This answer satisfied the soldier, who left casually. As soon as the door was shut, Sonic whirled around and opened the steel cot. Just like the man said, a small tan communicator rested inside.  
  
"Tan," Sonic muttered to himself. "Clever." It was the exact same color as his ear, allowing him to conceal it. Kinda like camouflage.  
  
He planted it in his right ear and pressed the green button. A slight crackling sound prefaced the man's voice.  
  
"Finally. What took ya? For someone so fast…"  
  
"I can move pretty damn slow, I KNOW!" Sonic nearly shouted, then covered his mouth.  
  
"Will you shut up?!?" the black man on the other end hissed. "That's the second time your big trap almost blew this whole damn thing.  
  
"Sorry," Sonic said mock apologetically. "I just hear that so much…"  
  
"Alright, no time for psycho sob stories," the voice said. "Here's the deal. Tap your foot around for a place that makes no noise when you hit it."  
  
"'k." Sonic started tapping his foot in the cell, trying to find a non-hollow sound. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG…  
  
Thump.  
  
Sonic heard it. Was it the right one, or was he just hearing what he hoped was right? He tapped it again. And again. And one more time, to be sure.  
  
Thump.  
  
Thump.  
  
Thump.  
  
No denying it-this was the place.  
  
"Found it."  
  
"Good," the voice responded. "Beneath it is a bomb-"  
  
"Bad idea," Sonic immediately retorted. "I'm in enough trouble as is, and blowing up a military carrier isn't going to earn me any more brownie points with the public."  
  
"The public ain't your problem right now," the man said. "Yo problem is gettin' out of this junk heap. You set a bomb, it's gonna distract their attention, givin' you a shot at getting out of here."  
  
Sonic thought for a second. Then, he closed his eyes tight.  
  
"Alright." He shook his head, furious that he just agreed to kill innocent lives.  
  
"It's okay, man, it'll be okay. We gonna find someone else to pin this on."  
  
Sonic couldn't believe it. He was turning more and more into a criminal. Next, he was probably going to have to sneak up on some unsuspecting guard and slit his throat. Was this a trap or something?  
  
"Yo, man," he said to his unknown helper, "how is this going to help me at-"  
  
But just then, he heard the door open. The older sergeant walked in.  
  
"Alright, rodent," he growled, what're you up to, I know you're doing something…"  
  
Great. How much had he seen.  
  
Almost instinctively, he landed a flipping kick that knocked the sergeant flat. He was out like a light. The hedgehog groaned-how much more hurt did he have to do? Sonic quickly flipped the trick floor tile up and pulled out the cube-shaped explosive. God, this thing was heavy! After accidentally pressing an activation button as he handled it, a bright green timer began to tick. 30 minutes.  
  
He peered down the tunnel. It was pure midnight black. The last place he wanted to go.  
  
But just behind him, a couple troops trotted up to the unconscious body of the sergeant. Their heads and their guns turned to Sonic.  
  
"You! Convict! Come here!" shouted one of the men. Sonic did just the opposite. He jumped high into the air, pinned his arms to his body to make himself as sleek as possible, and shot down the hole.   
  
All he could do was look on. This was not the way he wanted to do things.  
  
As he fell down the seemingly bottomless pit, Sonic asked sarcastically "Well? Did I do it right?"  
  
"Yep," RaGiff said in mock happiness. "And the best part is, everyone else on that whole damn carrier knows about it, too."  
  
Chapter 17  
  
.com  
  
This was getting out of hand. Big had just clobbered Charmy (though that really didn't take much). Vector was being pummeled right now. Even the crocodile's speed couldn't keep him from Big's rage. Now it was going to be just Mighty against this…monster. Despite his great confidence and strength, Mighty didn't think he had a shot in this bout. But he had to try.  
  
The armadillo heard his cue to enter the arena when he heard the loud crashing sound of Vector hitting a tree. Shaking slightly, Mighty walked towards the purple cat.  
  
"You got me good last time," Mighty muttered, "but I ain't gonna let that happen again."  
  
Big just pounded a massive fist into his other, equally massive hand. "Let's go."   
  
A heavy punch just whizzed by Mighty's head. Now was the time. Hit and never stop. Mighty landed punch after punch to Big's colossal gut. A couple to the head, a quick kick to keep him off guard. That's it, Mighty, that's it, keep going, don't stop, don't let him start swinging again. Sharp jab to the gut, kick in the knee, uppercut to the head. When was this guy gonna get tired? He just took hit after hit.   
  
Just keep going, Mighty, just keep going.  
  
He's not immortal, he's not invincible, he has to be getting tired. Then he realized the only reason he was convincing himself of this was because HE was the one that was tired. He couldn't keep this pace up. And once he was exhausted, the cat would grab him, pile drive him into the ground, snap him in two, perform some other grotesque finishing move.  
  
Just keep going, Mighty, just keep going.  
  
And once he was finished off, then what? Then the vendetta he had promised to Knuckles after his death would remain unfulfilled. Then Sonic would roam free to kill again, maybe head back to the Ubi system, to Mobius, to Carnival Island, kill their friends, become the most feared killer of all time-because he couldn't beat this cat. He couldn't beat this giant cat.  
  
Just keep going, Mighty, just keep going.  
  
He felt his heart race. He was slowing down. Still throwing punches and kicks fast enough so Big had no chance to retaliate, but definitely slower. And soon, his pace would slow down to the point where the cat could respond. And Mighty would have no chance at getting free.  
  
Just keep going, Mighty, just keep going.  
  
The weight of his arms was suddenly unbearable. He couldn't kick anymore, for his legs were too tired. He could barely see or think clearly. It was almost as if the cat was playing with him. Yes, that was it! Oh, that was it! These punches probably did nothing to him. He was exhausting Mighty while barely taking any damage. Just like a cat, keeping his prey alive just to play around with him for a while!  
  
Just keep going, Mighty, just keep going.  
  
Sonic could hear footsteps above him. He had finally landed, but it was pitch black, giving him the ability to see absolutely nothing. This threw him into a sense of panic and fear. Every bump was a troop landing in the same vent Sonic was in, every ping was some radar or security mechanism picking him up, every little noise was disaster.  
  
"RaGiff?"  
  
"Yo."  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Just keep walking down the tunnel."  
  
"I can't see a damn thing."  
  
"Well, you gotta go slowly. Take your time, feel ahead of you."  
  
"Figures. Not exactly the most exciting thing to do."  
  
"Hey man, you want entertainment, go watch the Cartoon Network or Comedy Central. But if you wanna get outta here in one piece, you better do what I say, son."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Dontchu be talkin' to me like that. If it weren't for me, you still be stuck up in that cell waiting for your death wish."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Then, something came to mind. The missile. For some reason, he remembered that missile.  
  
"RaGiff, one more thing."  
  
"Yeah, what?"  
  
"You got a computer around there?"  
  
"Do I have a computer around here?" RaGiff responded sarcastically. "Bro, I been watchin' this whole thing through a monitor, I've got blueprints of the place, and you wanna know if I have a computer around here?"  
  
"Well do ya?"  
  
"Smart now, ain't we? Yes, I have a computer. Why do ya ask?"  
  
"I want you to look something up for me."  
  
"Uh…sure. What?"  
  
"Just go on the Web and try to go to .com."  
  
"What .com?"  
  
"Just .com."  
  
"You kiddin'?" RaGiff laughed. "Man, there ain't no such thing as a .com. But, if you wanna waste my time, then sure." A few clicks of the keyboard. "The computer sez, "We can't find .com." Again, no such place."  
  
Then, "Hey, hold on there. It's loading something."  
  
Sonic perked up. Hope?  
  
"Nope, never mind, blank page. Wait-nope blank page. It just keeps loading the same blank page over and over again."  
  
Sonic sighed as he kept on wandering through the dark. Oh well, it was worth a shot.  
  
"Hey, here it comes," RaGiff almost shouted. "It's loading!"  
  
"For real?"  
  
"Yeah…It's just a logo. It looks like a…It's a head. Huge mustache, too."  
  
Huge mustache?  
  
"Is there any way I can bring it up here?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Actually, there might be. Just a sec. That thing can receive radio signals, but I haven't been able to give a full on transmission before."  
  
In a few seconds, a screen appeared in front of him. Blue at first. Then, after a minute, a white web page with the Eggman logo appeared. But a second later, it disappeared, with the word "Welcome" replacing it. Then, the page disappeared.  
  
"RaGiff, what happened?"  
  
But there was no more RaGiff. Just an evil voice he had come to know all too well.  
  
"I've been waiting for this conversation, Sonic."  
  
"Eggman."  
  
Back on Morphos, RaGiff was freaking out. What was wrong? He didn't have contact with Sonic anymore. He was being blocked by something. He knew loading up that web page was risky, but not like this! Every one of his encryptions for the transmission had folded like nothing. And none of his hacking programs, which had never failed before, kept getting rejected in the earliest stages of breakthrough. Whoever this guy was, he was some kind of smart.  
  
"Dang!" he shouted, shaking his head. Oh well. This was a key part of the operation, but not the only one. There were still two areas of this operation that needed attention. Section A was doing well, and Section C was stalling. That left Section B to attend to.  
  
A couple taps of the keyboard. Then, "Tails, you there?"  
  
"Yeah, read you loud and clear."  
  
"You found that carrier yet?"  
  
"Yeah, but there's too many fighters around here."  
  
"Don't worry. They're not heavily armed, and the pilots aren't too trained. You should be able to take them out. Good luck."  
  
Before Tails could respond, RaGiff cut the connection. Partly because he was through with him, partly because he had just gotten a call.  
  
"Yo."  
  
"Yo," Blade responded.  
  
"What's up man?"  
  
"I need the top news from Capital City."  
  
"Gotcha."  
  
RaGiff brought up a couple windows and finally found the top Capital City web page on his computer.  
  
"Well, what's going on?" Blade asked.  
  
"The Rage won last night. They're in the Stanley Cup."  
  
"Thanks wise guy. Now what about the case?"  
  
"Okay…Hey, look, an arrest warrant for you!"  
  
"Will you quit screwing around?"  
  
"No seriously, you're wanted by the police for violation of government policy," RaGiff insisted.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Blade shouted.  
  
"Nope. What'd you do, steal the Mayor's milk and cookies?"  
  
"Grrr…It must have been that bat girl. She's been giving me trouble ever since I had that hedgehog in the forest. She must have made me look bad to the President."  
  
"Whoo-ooo! The President? Man, that guy must love those cookies of his!"  
  
"Shut up, will you? I'm trying to think."  
  
"Hey man, I'm supposed to be doing the thinking. Who's the batgirl?"  
  
"Rouge the Bat. She's a government agent, supposedly. She's in control of squad 65B."  
  
"Don't worry man. She's history."  
  
"Wait, RaGiff, what are you-"  
  
RaGiff cut him off.  
  
Chapter 18  
  
Who to Believe Now?  
  
The sky was green for a second. Pure jungle green. Then, Amy could begin to make out leaves, trees, and even cracks of blue. Finally, everything came into clear view. Her memory returned to her. The explosions, the running, the jumping…and a plane landed, and she swung her hammer, and…ooh, that part still eluded her, but she remembered running into the forest, day transforming to night, heart pounding, beads of sweat flooding her face, vision blurring, and…well, then she remembered waking up. Then, it hit her. She had made it. She had lived. She had escaped, just like Sonic had said she would! Amy wanted to jump up and scream, but she was too exhausted. All she had strength to do was to get up. Simply stand up. Knees wobbling, she couldn't even lift her hammer. Now came the all important question-now what? She was stuck in the middle of nowhere, exhausted, with no way of communication or transportation. Not even the crickets were chirping. Everything was silent. Past midnight. Sky black.   
  
Amy was all alone.  
  
She was terrified. The next noise might mean her death. Every step could be her last. But what could she do? How had she gotten off last time? Tails had flown Sonic and her off. This time, Tails was on the other side. Sonic was captured. She could swim off, but she wasn't too good of a swimmer-and in her current condition, she probably wouldn't make it more than a quarter mile offshore. What would Sonic do in this situation? C'mon, girl, think of something! She pounded her head with her fist. Think of something, think of something, think of something…  
  
But there was no way. No way at all. Her only chance was to go back to the base and hijack a plane. But she wasn't going back into that death trap. But she had to. Now what? Did she have the guts to go back?  
  
Amy dug deep into her mind, her heart. She knew she could do it. She was the toughest girl she knew. She could take on anyone! She had done it already under much harsher conditions. She could do it again. She was Amy Rose!  
  
She dashed off to the base again. She was getting off this island, and no stupid little army could take her down!  
  
Knuckles jumped from tree to tree, heading towards the Mystic Ruin pyramid. He didn't know exactly where Sonic was, but the last time he checked, he was gonna take a nice vacation there. He had been traveling for two days and was still going strong. The fire burned within him. Fire of vengeance, fire of anger. He was one pissed off echidna, mad as hell, and he wasn't going to take it anymore!  
  
He heard something down in a particularly wooded area. It was definitely a living thing. He leapt up high in the air and swooped down towards the sound. Two people were there. Both he recognized. The first was that giant cat from a few years ago with Chaos. The other was…  
  
"Mighty?"  
  
His armadillo pal looked up.  
  
"KNUCKLES?!?"  
  
The cat-Big, yeah, that was his name, Big-looked too, but said nothing. It looked like he was very winded.  
  
"Knuckles…" Mighty whispered. "What the…"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Knuckles asked.  
  
"I should be asking you!" Mighty shouted. "You're dead! You're supposed to be dead! I…We came all the way from Carnival Island because you're supposed to be dead!"  
  
"Why'd you do that?"  
  
"BECAUSE YOU'RE DEAD!" Mighty bellowed. "WE CAME TO KILL SONIC BECAUSE HE KILLED YOU!"  
  
"I know. Sonic killed me. I still have to get him for that."  
  
Poor Mighty was thoroughly confused-and scared.  
  
"What are you talking about? If you admit you got killed, then how…"  
  
"See," Knuckles began to explain, and he told the tale. He told Mighty about how the Master Emerald saved his life, about the labyrinth, the invisible room, the Minatour, Crystal, Chaotix, and finally, coming here.  
  
"That's it. That's how I'm here," Knuckles finished.  
  
Mighty stood with the blankest of stares on his face.  
  
"Am I missing something here?" he asked, completely confused now.  
  
Knuckles sighed.  
  
"The point is," he muttered, "that I'm back, and now we can kill Sonic together. And you said we, so I guess that means Vector and the guys are here, too. Well, the more the merrier, and the easier to find that blue whelp. I'll start on Prison Island. You guys try Red Mountain. Better yet, take Espio with you, and send Vector and Charmy to Capital City to search. We'll find Sonic, easy."  
  
"Alright Knuckles," Mighty responded, "I get it. We'll all go find him. See you later."  
  
Knuckles nodded, then shook his best friend's hand and glided off through the trees. As soon as the red echidna was out of sight, Mighty ran to Espio and the others, shaking their unconscious bodies.  
  
"Guys, wake up! Knuckles is here, and either I'm nuts, or he's completely insane!"  
  
Rouge was in her room of the carrier, sipping coffee. Life was good. Tomorrow, she'd get her bonus for capturing Sonic, hopefully get another promotion, maybe even to Sergeant! Yeah, Captain Rouge was decent, but Commander was just too good. She blew the smoke levitating over her cup and took another sip. Life really was good.  
  
Knock knock.  
  
Someone banging on her door. Damn. She didn't want to be bothered now.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Ma'am," the young male voice said behind the door, "the General needs you when you're finished."  
  
Rouge's mind did some quick math. General=cash/promotion!  
  
She opened the door and took off to the General's office. She didn't even have to knock.  
  
"Come in," the General's voice boomed. Rouge strolled in.  
  
"You wanted to see me, boss?" Rouge asked casually.  
  
"Yes, I did, Rouge. I need your help."  
  
Help? This didn't mean paycheck.  
  
"The hedgehog you captured…You did a fine job with it, but…"  
  
"But what?" Rouge wanted to yell, but thought better of it. "Yes, General Ramsey?"  
  
"He has escaped from his cell. He's still on this ship, we can confirm that, but we don't know where. Can you get your recon squad to find him?"  
  
"Yes sir," Rouge said halfheartedly. The General could feel this in her voice.  
  
"I will tack on an extra $5000 to your previous reward and you will receive a promotion if you complete this task. The other members of the group will also get $4000 extra.  
  
Rouge beamed.  
  
"You have yourself a deal, General." She shook his hand and ran off. Then, for bonus points, she ducked her head back in. "Sir, I want you to know I would have done it even if you didn't offer me the money."  
  
General Ramsey smiled. "I'm sure you would have. Now get going. Don't let that prisoner escape."  
  
Rouge nodded and took off. She liked General Ramsey. He was an easygoing guy. Plus, if Rouge kept this up, she'd be of an even higher rank than him.  
  
After knocking on the women's dorm and getting her members out nicely, she led them to the men's dorm, where she busted open the door to the men's dorm and flipped on the light. Thirty two men in undershirts and boxers slowly rose, only to cower and throw the covers on at the site of Rouge and the women.   
  
"Oh, quit whimpering, you pathetic losers," Rouge growled. The female troops laughed a bit. Rouge smiled back at them, then continued. "Consider yourselves lucky. This'll probably be the closest to naked any woman other than your mothers will see you. Now get out and get dressed. We've got work to do." 


	2. Chapter 19 Full On Assault

Chapter 19  
  
Full On Assault  
  
"So," Sonic muttered as he wandered down the hall, "my old nemesis sounds so happy so hear from me? Alright, spill it."  
  
"What do you mean?" Eggman asked Sonic innocently.  
  
"Don't give me that crap. You're involved in all this somehow, I know it. Isn't this the time when you spill out your master plan anyway, knowing we can't do a thing about it?"  
  
"I have no clue what you're talking about, hedgehog," the doctor responded. "I've cleaned up my ways. You know that. I'm trying to be mayor of Capital City, and if I don't keep squeaky clean, I'm not gonna do too well in the polls."  
  
"Or maybe you want to start some dictatorship or something."  
  
"That's not the point, Sonic!" Eggman yelled. "I need your help!"  
  
"So you do have someth-wait..what did you say?"  
  
"I need your help, Sonic."  
  
Sonic smiled. He knew Eggman couldn't see the smirk, but he liked doing it anyway.  
  
"Okay, so what do you need, Egghead?"  
  
"I need you to go to the Silver Mountains."  
  
Brief pause. Then Sonic responded, "Okay, why?"  
  
"My secret base is located there-"  
  
"So you WERE planning something!" Sonic laughed nervously. The dark was getting to him.  
  
"No, it's a storehouse of all my old creations. I thought I might use them later, and it seemed a waste to just get rid of them. So I locked them away there. But something's wrong with them. They're going berserk."  
  
"Told you giving your robots Mountain Dew was a bad idea," Sonic joked.  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Now if you want my help," Sonic taunted, "this isn't a good way to get it."  
  
Growling sound. Then, "I don't know what's going on. I have control of them sometimes, then others they go postal on the base. If I send them out for a test run, they might turn around and start shooting down my defenses."  
  
"And you want me to do…what?" Sonic asked. "Hurry up, man. I'm not exactly in the best position to be involved in an engaging conversation."  
  
"Can you and your fox friend get over here?"  
  
Sonic stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn't thought of Tails since the incident at the prison. But now that he had, his eyes were filled with rage.  
  
"No, I can't bring my fox backstabber with me. He's too busy selling me out to the cops and everyone else who gives a damn about what he says."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I can come, but the fox ain't with me. And if he was, I'd throttle him."  
  
Stunned silence from Eggman was rare, but when it happened, it was really something. "Whatever. If you're here, it's okay."  
  
"But I need a favor of my own," Sonic added.  
  
The doctor groaned. "Figures. The hedgehog does nothing for nothing."  
  
"Can you bring up the blueprints for a military carrier?"  
  
"If I knew which one it was. Do you have a number or something?"  
  
"I don't know, I was too busy being hauled into a cell and abused by the guards to notice what number it was."  
  
"Hey, you want my help, don't give me any attitude."  
  
"Let me know that I'm doing you a favor. I could get out of here alone, but it'd be a helluva lot easier if you brought it up."  
  
"Fine. Do you know anything about it?"  
  
"All I know is that it's been airborne for about four hours."  
  
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Just hold on a minute."  
  
As Eggman typed away, Sonic wandered on, more blind than a bat, hoping that the worst didn't happen. Because in his experiences, the worst always did.  
  
"WOO HOO!"  
  
Tails was loving every minute of this. He had been ripping through fighters since takeoff, non-stop action, like Zone of the Enders. Except better! This was insane! He didn't care how many there were, he was invincible!  
  
Except when he finally saw the carrier.  
  
Flashback. Three fighters and a large spacecraft. He was in his most advanced craft he had. An expert pilot. And they ripped him to shreds. Dodged all the fighters, then smashed by the large beam from the larger ship…  
  
Return to reality. God only knew how many fighters and an even larger spacecraft. He was in one of his least advanced crafts he had. Battered confidence and crushed self-esteem.  
  
RaGiff was yelling something in his ear that could have been Chinese for all he knew, because he couldn't hear it. He couldn't hear anything but the harsh, deafening hum of silence. He was zoned out. He couldn't do this. He should just turn back right now.  
  
Then, he thought of what happens next. If he doesn't die now, Sonic kills him later.  
  
It was crazy time! Tails flew the plane straight into the fray, screaming.  
  
"EEEYAAAAAH!"  
  
"Sir, this is a serious situation. Our military is being hammered. One of our carriers containing Sonic the Hedgehog is being assaulted by some kind of hovercraft and something that appears to be an airplane. Our Prison Island station is being attacked by an unknown fugitive. The hedgehog himself has escaped from his cell, we haven't heard from Squad 65B, and we have cut loose our test subject, Mr. Kasille."  
  
"We need to go on the offensive. Don't take any hesitation to kill the fugitives involved, because they are obviously-wait."  
  
"Yes, Mr. President?"  
  
"What was that last thing you said?"  
  
"We have cut loose our test subject, Mr. Blade Kasille."  
  
"The bounty hunter?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Who did that? You, Rouge, who?"  
  
"You did, sir. You signed the proposal two days ago."  
  
The President started at his consultant.  
  
"I don't remember doing that."  
  
While floating towards Prison Island, Knuckles saw a couple surprises. Explosions. Something interesting was happening. Was Sonic here? This was his best bet.  
  
He didn't recall exactly what happened next, but it involved a slice of blue cut across a black background. Whatever happened, he couldn't see, until the blackness was flooded with a teal shade. It was just a matter of time before… 


	3. Chapter 20 Who's Crazy Now?

Chapter 20  
  
Who's Crazy Now?  
  
"Alright," Charmy said, beginning to repeat what Mighty had just explained. "Knuckles isn't dead. But he thinks he was killed and then came back to life to get revenge on Sonic and defend the Master Emerald. And he just flew off and thinks we believe him, and wants us to find Sonic for him." "That's about it," Mighty sighed.  
  
The group looked at each other.  
  
"Okay, Mighty, you gone crazy," Vector concluded.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Dude, Knuckles is dead," Espio said. "There is no way he came back to life, and no way you saw him." Charmy nodded. "We have to get Sonic for Knuckles cuz he ain't here to do it himself."  
  
Mighty stood open mouthed. He didn't know what to believe-himself, the person he thought was Knuckles, his friends, or whatever. So for now, he just decided to go with the flow.  
  
"Sure. Okay. Now what?" "Now we go back to Capital City and try to find another lead," Espio answered. "We don't have much of a choice."  
  
"Okay, but you guys go on ahead. I'm gonna go search near Prison Island." "Why?" Charmy asked. "Well, in case they caught him or something," Mighty made up.  
  
The group looked a bit confused.  
  
"Alright Mighty, go ahead," Espio said. "Take this with you, so you can keep in touch." He handed the armadillo a tiny walkie-talkie.  
  
"'k then, see ya." Mighty dashed off into the woods. Once out of earshot, Vector turned to his friends. "He's acting a bit weird, ain't he?" Espio nodded.  
  
"He probably got banged around a bit by that cat while we were out," Charmy suggested.  
  
"Probably," Vector agreed, but he secretly suspected there was something big going on that Mighty wasn't letting them in on. "But maybe I should go with Mighty. Y'know, make sure he doesn't get himself blow up or something." "If you wanna," Espio sighed. "Just hurry up. He's an armadillo on a mission, and he's probably ten miles away by now." "Well, that's what I do." Vector smiled and followed his friend into the trees.  
  
Espio simply shrugged to a confused Charmy.  
  
"YEEAAAAAH!"  
  
A few minutes after shouting this battle cry, Amy had her aircraft. In her wake was a trail of robots and soldiers. She hopped into the plane, but stopped when she saw the card slot. She knew she needed her G.U.N. pass to get it started. Where was it? She didn't have it before, what made her think she had it now…  
  
"Hey!" She knew something in her back pocket was bugging her. She swiped it quickly and grabbed the steering…wheel…thing. Now if she only knew how to fly this thing…  
  
"Back," Eggman's voice said. "Right now, you're directly under the arms room. Keep going a few more feet, and there should be a loose tile in the conference room.  
  
"One problem, egghead. What if there's someone in the conference room?"  
  
"Sorry, hedgehog. That's the closest and probably the last chance you have at getting out of that tunnel. It's a risk you have to take." "Fine, whatever," Sonic grumbled. He felt above him until a tile shook when he touched it.  
  
"Freedom, here I come!" he hissed to himself. He jutted his hands upward, spilling the tile across the floor. As he jumped up through the hole, he was greeted by a very unwelcome voice.  
  
"Look what we found," Rouge sneered. "Guess you loved us so much you wanna get tossed in a cell by us again." The group laughed.  
  
Sonic moaned. This again? Well, at least he had a plan.  
  
"Yep," Sonic sighed, "so I also got you guys a homecoming gift." In one motion, he grabbed the loose tile and threw it in Rouge's direction. While she just barely dodged it, Sonic ran away, a hail of gunfire just missing him. "Hope you like it," Sonic called back, "but if you already have it, you can return it at Target. Tell them you paid for it in a previous life." The blue streak bounced down the halls and into the dock. A crackling in his earpiece was soon replaced by… "Testing, one, two, three. Life is nothin' but a dream, so peaceful and serene…" "Okay,, face it, you can't rap."  
  
"Sue me," RaGiff growled. "What the heck happened?" "A little interference," Sonic lied. "What's the deal?" "Quick, on your left, there's some bars. The bars are actually prototype fighters. Like hang gliders, except…" "YEEEEHAAAA!"  
  
"Guess he found them." 


	4. Chapter 21 Aero Clash

Chapter 21  
  
Aero Clash  
  
Blade didn't like this, not at all. He preferred chasing someone on the road, not zooming around in the sky or in space. But this was his only option. This was the place where the hedgehog was supposed to be held. That didn't make him like it any better.  
  
"There has to be an easier way to do this," he muttered to RaGiff in his hovership.  
  
"Okay, maybe I can drag the ship down to you instead so you don't even have to ride up to it."  
  
"Alright, shut up wise guy. I'm going." "You might run into just a bit of traffic."  
  
"I know, there's a helluva lot of fighters around there."  
  
"No, that's not all. The fox and the hedgehog are both out zooming around and blowing stuff up."  
  
"And they're doing that because…" "Long story. Just make sure what you're shooting isn't them."  
  
"You had something to do with that, didn't you?" "Duh, otherwise I wouldn't have known about it."  
  
"Not necessarily. You have a way of knowing stuff before it even happens or before it even exists."  
  
"Fair enough. Just be careful out there, 'k? Those guys aren't exactly pushovers, and that ship wasn't built directly for air combat."  
  
"Fine, then will you shut up then?"  
  
No voice came in response.  
  
"Good job," Blade responded as he shot his ship into the mass of enemy ships with cracks of orange sky. His mini-gun pumped round after round of shots into the crowd. The warrior figured he had made a serious dent, but when he spun around to head back into the fray, he saw pretty much the same number of ships. "Damn…" Blade murmured. This called for a change in tactics. He placed the machine on autopilot and left the cockpit. Slowly and carefully, he staggered to the back of his ship and stood, Fire Sabre in tow. Time to do a little double duty. As his ship flew around, he swung his sword like crazy, slicing the fighter planes. The rush of speed was exciting, but even he was a bit worried about the serious risk. One misstep or a hit to the back of the hovership meant doom. But he was Blade Kasille, best warrior and hunter in the universe. He could take it. As he cut through the hordes of enemy ships, he knew he was in big trouble. Hopefully, they wouldn't recognize him. But the sword probably gave him away.   
  
Further ahead, he saw a red airplane swooping around in the skies as well. Must be the fox boy, he thought. Looks like he wasn't the only one looking for the blue one.  
  
Speaking of which…  
  
"Is that him?" Blade wondered aloud. Immediately, a gunshot from a ship drilled the part of his machine he was on. He barely jumped over it, and he landed on the little bullet holes it left. He could not afford another lapse in concentration like that again. But he thought he had seen…  
  
And he did. Flying in what appeared to be some kind of piece of exercise equipment with jets, Sonic was also picking off the fighters-or at least avoiding them. When the hedgehog turned his head, he locked eyes with Blade and took the time to fly over.  
  
"Well, if it ain't Swordy," Sonic chuckled. "Don't worry, when these guys are finished, I'll settle the score with you and Tails." "You're lucky I don't shoot you down now, hedgehog," he responded.  
  
"Like hell you would. You just want me for the cash. Well, here's your paycheck right here." He took a hand off his handle and gave Blade the one finger salute before flying off.  
  
"I will throttle that little rodent," Blade muttered before crawling back into his ship. He no longer felt safe, or welcome, outside.  
  
Sonic swooped away from Blade laughing like crazy. In this prototype ship, he couldn't be touched. It was too fast. He cued RaGiff in. "Okay, Mr. Mysterious, Anonymous Provider, what now? How far am I from the Silver Mountains?"  
  
"Well, you're just a mile from Capital…What did you say?" "How far from the Silver Mountains?" "And you want to go there because…" "Personal business."  
  
"Hey, with RaGiff Griffin, no one keeps any secrets." "So, the mysterious voice has a name?" Sonic chuckled.  
  
A long list of curses flew from RaGiff's mouth. Even Sonic was a bit surprised.  
  
"Geez, I don't even know some of those," he laughed.  
  
A round of gunfire whizzing by his foot hurled him back into reality. He spun around to see four enemy ships closing in. "Okay, Raghib-" "RaGiff!"  
  
"Whatever. How far am I from the Silver Mountains?" "A good eight or nine miles from here. Your little ship thingy won't hold up that far, though. You best just land in Capital City now." "Isn't there another place closer that I could get to?" "I don't-well, now that you mention it, you land near Red Mountain, you wouldn't be more than a mile or so from the Silver Mountain range. But seriously, I don't think that's a good-" "WHOOOO!" "Why do I even bother…"  
  
Mighty was plowing his way through the woods. There it was-the prison of Prison Island. But no Knuckles. And he had no way of getting across the ocean that surrounded it. Only one way, actually. And he wouldn't like it one bit.  
  
"Ugh…This better be worth it," he grumbled. He performed a straight-on dive into the water and swam across. While under, there were plenty of sights to see. The sand swirled in the water, the trout were zooming past, Knuckles' unconscious body was laying on the ocean floor, shimmers of light flooded the water…  
  
"WHAT!" he gasped, but inhaled a gulp of salt water instead. He quickly swam to the surface to breathe and ducked back under again. There was no denying it, that was the body of his echidna buddy. He quickly scooped up his body and brought him back up as well. It took all of his incredible strength to bring him back to the grassy jungle part of the island, flip him onto land, and get back out.  
  
"C'mon, rad red, breathe!" He pushed on his chest, trying to force the water out of his lungs, praying, "Not CPR, please don't make me do mouth to mouth!" Luckily for him, Knuckles coughed up a little ocean out of him. "Yes…yes…" Mighty whispered. "Keep going, Red."  
  
It was near sunset when Espio and Charmy got off their bus in Station Square. There were construction crews still cleaning up some kind of mess. No doubt caused by Sonic. This must have been the terrorist attack part of his charges.  
  
"Guess this'd be a good place to start," Charmy commented.  
  
"If you believe that "return to the scene of the crime" crap," Espio challenged. "He won't be here. But we'll probably find someone who knows something about it."  
  
The duo decided to start in one of the stores-the electronics shop, to be specific. Just a random choice, hoping they'd find a clue somewhere. They were just about to ask the manager a question when, on one of the TV's, a news flash appeared.  
  
"We take you live to the skies above Capital City," an anchor stated, "where a hectic aerial chase is occurring between the military and two of the country's most wanted criminals. It has been confirmed that both Sonic the Hedgehog and Blade Kasille are in the skies with military fighters, Sonic in a stolen prototype fighter and Kasille in a supposedly personal craft. There is also a third, unknown fighter out taking on the numerous military planes. General Travis Ramsey has confirmed he has the crack squad 65B coming out to assist the other pilots…"  
  
There was more coming from the anchor's mouth, but the only thing Espio and Charmy were paying attention to was the video of Sonic and that bounty hunter in the air. A red airplane tailed them, followed by six dozen or so military jet fighters.  
  
"Good lord…" muttered Espio.  
  
"Yeah…" agreed Charmy, but not for the same reason. "Why can't WE be up there? That looks like a helluva lot of fun!" 


	5. Chapter 22 Metal Sonic Again?

Chapter 22  
  
Metal Sonic Again?  
  
Sonic streaked across the sky in his…uh…he couldn't even think of what to call it. He figured it was some kind of fighter, so he decided to go with that. Careening towards Red Mountain at an unbelievable speed, he was already thinking of what kind of amazing landing he was going to make to max out the distance he could make in the fighter.  
  
But in these kind of situations, nature decides to throw in something different. And in this case, the different thing was the same blue slice that eliminated Knuckles. It went so fast it didn't even make a sound, so quickly that all Sonic saw was the slice of sapphire. His arms didn't feel different, but something had happened, he knew that. He wondered what was going on, so he looked up to make sure everything was in check.  
  
It wasn't. The part of the fighter that held the top part together had been separated. Now Sonic dangled from the sky being held by two loose pieces of metal with jets on the top. This was absurd, but he had to get as far as he could.  
  
The slice appeared again, this time coming from left to right instead of up and down.  
  
Next thing he knew, he was plummeting from the sky. He checked up again to see the top parts of both of his arm rests floating high in the air because of the jets.  
  
He had lost connection with the only thing that kept him in the air.  
  
Down, down, down…  
  
Sonic relinquished the grip of his left hand, allowing the other bar to drop. Leaning as far right as possible, he got near a tree and jammed the other bar into it. He now hung from high above only by his right hand. Another close call. He was amazed he wasn't smashed into a million pieces, fried, sliced, buried alive, flattened, or had some other incredibly painful death sequence performed on him.  
  
He dropped from branch to branch until he reached the ground. A minute later, the jets from before slammed into the ground, finally out of fuel. As Sonic looked around at his new forest setting, many questions and comments arose. For the first time in a long while, he decided to organize them and answer them immediately. Slow down. Wow, never thought I'd do that, he thought to himself.  
  
Number one. What the hell just happened?  
  
That was gonna take a long time to answer. He decided to go with his usually method of action and just plow on ahead until the answer came up. So he proceeded to the base of Red Mountain and began his speedy ascent. He had no clue which direction to go from here, so he'd better check at the peak. Kinda ironic, he though, considering he was just in a perfect position to find out where they were just a few minutes ago.  
  
After a while, he stopped for a second to catch his breath. This thing was bigger than he first thought. It had taken him a whole three minutes to get halfway up. Maybe he could see the Silver Mountains from here? Nope. Still just a few too many trees. Something was wrong here. No tree in the world could be this huge. Not being a big-shot environmentalist or scientist, Sonic didn't know what to make of it, so he continued on.  
  
He just jumped over the blue slice.  
  
Whatever it was, it was fast, but Sonic was faster.  
  
Now, Sonic's mind brought forth a new, yet similar question. What the hell was that?  
  
The answer came a lot quicker than the last one. But Sonic had a feeling both questions were being answered at once.  
  
Because he found himself staring down his old mechanical nemesis, Metal Sonic.  
  
"Well, well, well," Sonic muttered. "What have we here?" The mechanical hedgehog narrowed its blood red eyes. It looked like it was trying to asses how much of a threat Sonic posed. A second later, it was gone.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Sonic yelled as he sped after him down the mountain.  
  
Now what to do? Amy had managed to land her plane at Tails' workshop. She was going to go in to see if Tails was there, but thought better of it after what happened at the prison. She had gotten on the train back to Capital City and went back to her hotel. Tired, she changed into her pajama pants and shirt even though it was still the middle of the afternoon, and flopped into bed.  
  
And now there was nothing.  
  
She had no clue where Sonic was, no clue where anyone was to be exact. There was nothing she could do. Just lie here and wait. Wait for news, good or bad. Hope for the safety of her friends. And Sonic. Oh, why couldn't he just have played things safe? But she knew it wasn't his fault. She just missed him so much. For all those years, she had chased him, been crazily in love with him. Now he was gone. And from what she had seen so far, even he had little chance of getting out of this mess. She turned and cried into her pillow. She would never see him, her true love, again. But did he really love her back? She would never know now…  
  
The trees swayed over him. Then, a familiar face blocked his view. He couldn't remember now who it was, but it made him happy, wanted, needed.  
  
"Yes…yes…" the face said, smiling. Then, he shoved on his chest. It hurt like crazy, and it made him spit up water. Another push. A smile crossed his face just as he blacked out a second time.  
  
Rouge and her crew were just about to depart in her fighter with the rest of Squad 65B. She wanted revenge more than anything. That hedgehog wouldn't show her up again. But a crackling on her communication radio put a stop to her heated vengeance.  
  
"Rouge, this is General Ramsey, over." "Yes sir, what is the problem, over?" "Don't bother going out. Don't send your team out, either. Sonic has left our radars. He has escaped., over" The bat's face fell. She had a feeling about what was coming next.  
  
"Please return to the main deck of the carrier. I would like to have a word with you, over."  
  
Suddenly, the shame of being downgraded turned to anger. "No." "What? Over." "Don't give me that crap, Travis. I'm through with this gig. You guys don't give anyone a chance to catch this guy. You always call them back before they have a prime shot. It happened with that Blade guy and it's happening again with me. Well, you can just kiss my ass, cuz I'm outta here!"  
  
With that, she rocketed out of the carrier's bottom area and took off in the direction she last saw the hedgehog go in. But while she was still in communication range, she left one last note to the General. "Over." With that, she crushed the radio in her hand and flew off. 


	6. Chapters 23 to 26: Approaching the Mount...

Chapter 23  
  
Approaching the Mountains  
  
Cummings was streaking down the left side. He deked past one defender, then dished it off to Merrington. Merrington crossed the blue line, split the defenders, then WHAM! Hard check by Baxter from the left side to send the puck flying. Here came Hobbs, racing to the backside of the net. He scooped up the loose puck, just dodged a zooming McKloskey, flipped it to Cummings planted in front of the net to attempt the one-timer, he shoots…  
  
"'GIFF!" RaGiff shook like crazy, shocked by Blade's booming voice. He barely noticed the sound of the goalie snatching the puck out of the air.  
  
"RaGiff, what the hell are you doing?" Blade growled.  
  
"Sorry, man, this is a good game. Lansing is up by one with a minute to go and Capital City just brought on the extra attacker…" "That's wonderful. And then the wild blue hedgehog came and blew up the stadium because you didn't tell me where he was!" "Don't worry, I don't think the hedgehog will be buggin' you right now. He's wandering out somewhere in the Silver Mountains. One you get out of that little dogfight you got yourself into, take a cruise on over there and see if you can find him." "Okay, and he's over in the mountains why?" "Dunno, but he seemed pretty set on getting there. Maybe he's meetin' a contact or what-not. Anyway, he won't last long out there. You might not even have to fight him." "If you can do anything to get these annoying little guys off of me, that'd be great." "See, that's your job. I do the technical stuff, you the manual labor."  
  
"Oh, so you're saying I can't hack into a computer or something like that?" "Hell no." "That's better." "I mean hell no, you can't."  
  
"When I get back there.." Blade started, but was interrupted when a gunshot rocked his ship. He checked his shield and energy gauges. Energy as a whole was decent, but his shield was low. If he lost all of it, hits would start to deplete his fighter's energy, and he wouldn't have enough to land. So he had to drop out.  
  
As he lowered himself from the pack of planes, RaGiff appeared on the monitor again, stunned. "Dude," he began, "you never lost a fight before. Or quit.'  
  
'Technically," Blade explained, "this ain't a hand-to-hand or weapon-to-weapon fight. This doesn't count." "Whatever, man." "How far am I from the Silver Mountains?" "Little more than eight miles. Your ship should be fine if you don't get hit too much on the way." "No prob. What's gonna hit me out there anyway?" "Ya never know," RaGiff muttered as he cut off the connection with Blade. He then called out Tails.  
  
"Fox man, time to go. Head over to the Silver Mountains. Your hedgehog homie is trying to get to them through Red Mountain, so by the time you get to Silver, he should be there, and you can sort this whole big mess out yourselves."  
  
No answer from Tails himself, but the gunning of jet engines was response enough.  
  
"This just in. It appears that the three aforementioned planes and a fourth one appearing to be a military fighter are now flying southeast. Sonic the Hedgehog appears to be gone, and the other three are following at a fast pace. It has been confirmed that both Sonic and Blade Kasille were up in that battle, as well as government informant Miles Prower. It is unknown who the person in the military fighter is as of this point, but all four are indeed heading southeast, supposedly towards the Mystic Ruin mountain range, including Red Mountain and the Silver Mountains-" "Next stop…" Charmy commented to Espio. The chameleon nodded, and the two rushed off to the train station for the next departure.  
  
There she was, inside a cavern, with no light coming in. She had her hammer. Suddenly, Gamma appeared. She tried talking to it, make friends with it again, but instead it started firing. She held up her hammer to stop the gunfire, but it dismantled immediately. Sonic came swooping in to stop it, but something caught him from behind. It was Eggman, with an electrical device that had paralyzed the blue hedgehog. Amy watched in horror as Gamma was allowed to tee off on Sonic and fire his most powerful gunshot. A gleam of light, then Sonic fell to the ground, lying in a pool of blood. She tried to scream, but something stopped her. She didn't know what, but she couldn't talk, shout or anything. Gamma fired another shot, which she just barely ducked under. Amy finally began to run away, but Knuckles and Tails swooped in armed with hunting knives. They took turns plunging their knives into her chest. As she slowly fell to the ground, she heard Sonic's fading voice, "Please, Amy, it's your turn…"  
  
The dream ended with a blaring sound. Unwittingly, her hand had slapped her alarm clock, turning the alarm sample on. She yelped in a high-pitched tone as she jumped and hit the floor. She just so happened to land on the TV remote. On it, a special news bulletin was broadcasting.  
  
"This just in. It appears that the three aforementioned planes and a fourth one appearing to be a military fighter are now flying southeast. Sonic the Hedgehog appears to be gone, and the other three are following at a fast pace. It has been confirmed that both Sonic and Blade Kasille were up in that battle, as well as government informant Miles Prower. It is unknown who the person in the military fighter is as of this point, but all four are indeed heading southeast, supposedly towards the Mystic Ruin mountain range, including Red Mountain and the Silver Mountains. We will bring you more updates as the situation unfolds."  
  
Amy knew where she was going next. The question was how to get her. She had gotten lucky on her way back-the person driving the train had not recognized her. But everyone in Capital City probably knew everything about her now. She needed a disguise or something.  
  
She quickly jumped into her closet, trying to find something she had never worn before. No, no, no, no, wore that on Christmas a couple times, nope, no…  
  
"Oh God no." Buried behind tons of other clothes was the ugliest outfit possible-an eggshell colored blouse and green and gray plaid skirt. Where the hell did she get this from, who gave it to her, and what were they smoking when they got it? It didn't matter, this was her only choice.  
  
Banging on her door.  
  
"Ms. Amy Rose!" someone barked from behind the door. "This is the police! You are under arrest for damage to public property, disturbing the peace, and assisting a deadly criminal. Open the door now, or we will be forced to break in." Oh no.  
  
"Okay," she sighed. "Just let me get dressed first, I just got out of the shower." Quickly, she slipped off her sleep outfit and threw on the ugly outfit. Then, she rushed out onto the balcony. Staring down at the drop into the street below, only one thing comforted her-If Sonic or the others could pull this off numerous times, she could too. She slowly muttered, "One for the money…two for the show…three to get ready…" The door smashed behind her.  
  
"Oh my GOD!!!!!!!" she screamed as she free-fell off the balcony. Then, her easily distracted mind kicking in, she decided to flip around and go face first to keep any sickos from looking up her skirt.  
  
"That's right, red, just chill for a bit. You'll be okay." Mighty was about to comfort Knuckles some more when he heard a buzzing sound. It was that blasted radio Espio insisted on giving him.  
  
"What?" he nearly shouted into it.  
  
"What's up?" shouted a voice from above. It was Vector. "Vec?" Mighty asked, surprised. "What in God's name-" "MIGHTY!" "WHAT???"  
  
"I just said do you think you can get there?" Espio asked through the radio.  
  
"Yes I can," Mighty replied. "Oh wait, minor detail…WHERE THE HELL DO YOU WANT ME TO GO?????"  
  
"Silver Mountains! I just said!" Espio yelled.  
  
"Sorry," Mighty apologized. "I just had motor mouth number two come out of nowhere to greet me." "Vector just got there?" "Yeah." "Okay, can you get to the Silver Mountains from there?" "If I knew what they were, I'd be happy to." "Just come back to the ruins. You'll see Red Mountain pretty easily. Just follow that and you'll see the Silver range before too long." "Alright, see ya soon. I've got a little surprise for you when I see you guys, though." "I'm sure I'll be stunned. Just one last question, Mighty." "Yeah?" "Who's motor mouth number one?" "That," Mighty taunted, "is my little secret.  
  
Chapter 24  
  
Catching the Train  
  
This explained everything! All the crimes, framing, everything! Eggman WAS behind this, and he was trying to lure him into a trap by saying he needed his help! So much for being a reformed politician running for mayor. That bloated jerk was just begging for it.  
  
Sonic kept following the violet jet beam shooting out of the back of Metal Sonic. It was a shame, really, because this was basically undoing all the hard work he had just done running up this mountain. However, Sonic figured Metal would be going back to the base anyway, so it might be easier.  
  
"C'mon rust bucket, come back!" Sonic called ahead. "I just wanna know a couple things! Like why you're trying to ruin my life!"  
  
Metal didn't respond. Of course it didn't. It would only listen to Eggman. Still, Sonic yelled at it.  
  
"So, what's old egghead planning now? Does he want to turn Capital City into a new Iraq? Or maybe he has reformed and just wants to torture me! Is that it, Metal? Huh?" Sonic eventually stopped his torrent of comments. It didn't do anything, and it was deterring his concentration. One misstep was a God-only-knew-how-far fall.  
  
The pair of Sonics continued to rotate around the mountain path until Metal swerved off the path. Finally, Sonic thought, his battery died or something.  
  
But no, Metal had actually cut into a cavern Sonic couldn't quite see yet. The blue hero screeched to a halt in front of it, wondering what happened, until he turned and saw Metal streaking down the cave. Growling, he ran off after him, knowing that there would be fire and lava involved in some way.  
  
Running into the train station, Amy, in her new disguise, still attracted a lot of attention-mainly because the cops were following her. As she dashed through, she quickly swiped her card at a small card reader and hopped onto a just-departing train.  
  
This didn't mean she was inside the train. Just on it.  
  
She was hanging on a handle on the door for dear life, banging with one hand for someone to let her in. Everyone else inside the train was horrified at this walking, talking pink hedgehog, supposedly wanted by the police, slamming on the door. They thought she was threatening them or something.  
  
"Come ON!" Amy screamed. She looked ahead for a split second, and almost instinctively flipped up onto the top side of the train and ducked. "Good God," she muttered as the train entered a tunnel. Had she stayed a second longer, she'd be knocked out, easy pickings for the police, or possibly dead. This must be the kind of life Sonic lived, Amy thought. At first she wondered how he could possibly enjoy this kind of thing all the time, then she realized something. "Damn, this is really fun!"  
  
She rode the train halfway there, through thousands of ceiling lights whizzing past and through otherwise pitch darkness. But at the halfway point, the train began to slow down. Slower, slower, a screeching sound from beneath, until finally, the train had come to a complete halt. What had happened? Had the electricity gone off or something?  
  
Then, the flashlights came from behind.  
  
She was wanted by the police. She was also riding on a public electric train. Amy put two and two together and realized the cops had stopped the train to capture her. Other than breaking Sonic out of prison, Amy had no intention of doing anything illegal. Which meant she couldn't fight off the policemen. She had to run.  
  
Amy quickly crawled across the top of the train to the side. Once off the top, she ran as fast as her little legs could take her. Luckily, she had been working out and losing weight with a new program called "Boxercise." A friend had recommended it to her and he started using it to lose weight and try to impress Sonic. Obviously, he hadn't noticed. But it came in handy here. With a lighter load to carry and her improved wind, she easily escaped the lights. That didn't mean she was out of the fire just yet. They were still following her, but if she continued her pace, she'd be hiding in the Mystic Ruins before they could catch up.  
  
At the base of Red Mountain, Espio and Charmy waited for their friends.  
  
"Wonder what that surprise is," Charmy asked.  
  
"Probably some huge robot Mighty killed off or something like that," Espio responded. "Or some seashell he found on the beach," the bee joked.  
  
Suddenly, Espio had an idea. "Maybe he found the hedgehog???" Charmy was about to make a smart remark, but then realized how right his chameleon friend could be.  
  
"Let's hope so," he said.  
  
"Hope what?" called a familiar voice. It wasn't Mighty.  
  
It wasn't Vector.  
  
It wasn't Sonic.  
  
It wasn't Tails.  
  
It wasn't Big.  
  
It wasn't Blade.  
  
It was Knuckles.  
  
Tails and Blade flew neck-in-neck for a while before they finally noticed each other. Both were so intent on getting to the Silver Mountains that they weren't paying attention to their sides. Until a loud screeching sound emitted from Blade's rear left jet. The two immediately looked at where the sound was coming from and ended up looking at each other.  
  
"You!" they both yelled, but neither could hear the other.  
  
Back on Morphos in his lab, RaGiff got two separate calls at the same time. He accepted both calls at once on his telecom.  
  
"Get me hooked up with _____," they both said of the other.  
  
RaGiff made a 3 way connection with Tails, Blade, and himself, then cut himself off. Then, as an afterthought, he reentered the call as a listener-only. He chuckled to himself. This was going to be good.  
  
Rouge had just slipped to the right side of Blade's hovercraft, preparing to ram it down. This was her reward. She probably could have shot it down, but she didn't want to hit the fox's plane by mistake. She hadn't flown one of these yet in combat-she just passed her examination two weeks ago-and Tails probably knew something about Sonic that she could use.  
  
But before she could drill the bounty hunter's ship, Blade absentmindedly sided up against hers and made a sound of grinding steel. Blade quickly whipped his head around to see Rouge.   
  
He mouthed the word "You!" before heading back to his console. Rouge sighed. So much for a stealth elimination.  
  
Meanwhile, RaGiff got another call on his telecom. "Get me hooked up with military fighter number 650-B-72," Blade asked.  
  
"Listen man, do you want a separate conversation with each one or do you want all of them at once?" RaGiff responded. "Cuz separate can't be done. It's either one or the other, or a three way chat with all of 'em." Blade grumbled something unprintable under his breath. "Such a genius," he growled. "You can hack into the most secure military computers and build a machine like this, but can't get a two way calling system in? Fine, give me both at once."  
  
"Your wish," RaGiff answered, and he pressed a button. Then, he stayed in again as a listener only. He just had to hear this.  
  
Chapter 25  
  
Escape from Red Mountain  
  
The rivers of magma flowed around Sonic as he chased his metal counterpart. Rocks crumbled in the distance. Splashes of lava sprayed across the few solid parts of the mountain. Sonic realized this was a very active volcano-it was never this bad before. The problem was that Metal could just hover above the pools of lava-Sonic had to avoid or jump over them. That meant when he could run, he had to crank up his speed to an unthinkable level.  
  
He leapt over one lava pit and bounced off of the ground onto a wall. He began running on the wall until he saw part of it begin to crack ahead of him. He jumped off just in time to see that same part burst in magma. Sonic barely avoided the spray of hot rock and continued on. A boulder started bouncing across the path. Sonic lowered his head and barely ducked under it. This must be trap path or something, Sonic thought.  
  
The ground began to crumble, and lava began to seep in where Sonic was running. This place was going up soon. How soon, he didn't know. He had to get away from here. But then he'd lose Metal. Sonic just hoped Metal knew how close this place was to erupting as well.  
  
He jumped over the different lava pits, hopped off of the falling rocks, and bounced off the wall to slip past tight paths. Soon, the already small area he had to run with began to grow smaller and smaller. He must be reaching an exit. A shimmer of purple was all that Sonic could make out of Metal. Just keep running, Sonic thought, he had to be slowing down soon.  
  
With all the action going around, it was near impossible to see Metal Sonic, though. Magma sprayed across the volcano, rocks fell, the ground sank deeper and deeper. Of course, Metal kept going at the same steady pace, but Sonic had to take time to avoid all these dangers. Turn after turn brought even more dangers, each more threatening and deadly than the last. Finally, he came to a small archway. This must be the end.  
  
Instead, it lead to another part of the cavern containing a huge, white-hot ocean of lava. Sonic had to screech to a sudden halt to avoid running over the edge into the flowing lava. Where was Metal? The answer was right across from him. Metal was flying with a golden shimmer surrounding him. Sonic remembered this from back on Little Planet, when he battled with Metal Sonic and Eggman at once on the Stardust Speedway. But this was even more intense then that.  
  
A huge rock fell from the ceiling into the lava below, causing a huge tunnel of the fiery liquid to sizzle the walls of the cavern. Sonic felt the ground beneath him tremble. Soon, the platform he stood on right now was going down. There was only one way across. Sonic obviously couldn't jump this kind of a distance, so he decided to go around it. The wall was so long, though, that simply running up along it wasn't going to be enough-he would fall into the lava about halfway through. He needed something faster.  
  
Sonic hadn't performed his Super Peel-Out in a long time-the last time he remembered was on Planet Freedom when he was trying to save Tails and the old owl. Now he realized how useful it could have been in previous situations. He slowly planted his hands on the ground and began moving his feet at incredible speeds. Soon, his bottom half was a blur of red. That's when he knew it was ready. He jerked his hands up and blasted off onto the wall. Just a split second later, the very rock he stood on before slid into the red abyss below. Rocks were falling all over the place and spreading magma onto the walls. This meant Sonic was going to get hit if he wasn't careful. Not enough to cause permanent damage, but enough to burn him, give him some serious pain, and cause him to loose his footing. Faster, he thought, this place is a death trap. He was halfway around the room now, and he saw the small hole that Metal had burrowed just a few minutes ago. It was almost another half-mile to get there. To most, this would take an eternity. For Sonic, he needed to do it in about a minute before he got killed in some wild way.  
  
Then, it happened.  
  
Sonic lost concentration long enough to allow a small speck of lava to hit his foot. He yelped in pain. Even his shoe couldn't stop it from burning through. He kept on running, but the foot got worse with every step. He couldn't keep this up. He needed to try another tactic. Sonic picked up the pace as much as he could, killing his foot, and finally started spinning into a tiny blue ball. He had barely any vision of what was going on, but continued to roll along the wall. Soon, the small hole from the end of the cavern began to pop up continuously in his spinning vision. It was time to exit. He popped out from his rolling position, started to run on his burning foot again, and ran into the small hole, flipping back into an upright position. He continued to run, as the pain in his right foot began to dull, and eventually light crept into the hole. Finally, he was out.   
  
But after all that, he had lost Metal Sonic. Sonic sighed and began his descent up the mountain once more to find the Silver Mountains.  
  
Then he stopped. Something was peculiar about that boulder he just passed. Something just a bit odd. He raced back and inspected it. And he realized why it was so odd.  
  
Laying beside it, sparking and shaking, was Metal Sonic's hand.  
  
Sonic carefully kicked the foot away and used all his strength to roll the boulder away. Beneath it lay the rest of the robot, wires popping out, sparks flying, a total wreck. It was almost sad to see one of his most intense enemies and rivals brought down by a simple rock. But what to do with it now? Sonic's main reaction was to just crush the thing right now, but his gut instinct told him that Metal may prove useful somewhere else.  
  
So Sonic decided to compromise. He kicked Metal off the mountain.  
  
He smiled, satisfied slightly with this choice. On the one hand, he finally got to bring it to his metallic rival, and on the other, it had a chance to survive, albeit a miniscule one. He looked down to see the blue lump of steel tumble to the forest below until it disappeared into the trees. Then, looking up, he saw the Silver Mountains.  
  
"Well, that kills two birds with one stone," he figured. "Get rid of Metal and find the mountain range. Now to go slap that plan of Eggman's back in his big fat mustache."  
  
Sonic began his descent of the mountain. This place wasn't safe anymore. He probably wouldn't feel safe anyway until he was back in Capital City with his name cleared and Eggman dead, but he knew that wasn't gonna happen anytime soon, so he'd just have to settle for getting off this volcano. Then again, he never knew Red Mountain was volcanic. Sure, it had lava and such inside, but that didn't mean it was gonna erupt anytime soon. Oh well, you learn new things every day.  
  
When he got off the mountain's path, he continued right into the forest towards the Silver Mountains. But he didn't get very far.  
  
"Well, look what we have hear," Mighty smiled unpleasantly. "We were just talking about you. A little guest of ours wants to see you for a second." Espio, Vector, and Charmy all entered from the darkness.  
  
"Big whoop," Sonic responded, clenching his fists. "I can take you four on anytime. Bring it." "Oh, but these aren't my guests," Mighty explained.  
  
A familiar red echidna walked next to Mighty.  
  
"Oh…god…" Sonic whispered.  
  
"This is my guest of honor," Mighty said. "And he'd be honored to get some well-deserved revenge with the rest of us."  
  
Chapter 26  
  
A New Plan  
  
Panting, exhausted, and a little groggy, Amy finally made it to the Mystic Ruins. She approached the cave that lead to Red Mountain and was about to enter when she saw something in the air that caught her eye. Flying high up right towards Red Mountain was Tails. Beside him were two ships she didn't recognize. So, Tails was really after Sonic and was bringing a posse to take him out. She thought initially that it was some kind of fluke, but she was mistaken, apparently. Well, no one was going to get near her Sonic without a good 'ol whomping. She tapped her foot with her hammer and sped down the cave entrance.  
  
"Okay, let's get this straight," Blade said through his intercom. "Tails, you and I had that plan together that got broken up because you forgot to mention it to Sonic and he escaped." "Right." "And now he'll probably do anything to make sure you're dead." "Yes."  
  
"So now you're gonna go to the Silver Mountains to clear things up with him." "Yeah." "And you Rouge," he continued. "You were going to catch that hedgehog for some prize money, in jewels." "Uh huh." "But because I was going after him too, you thought I was a threat to that cause and feigned that order from the President to get me out of the way." Silence. Then, "Yes."  
  
"And now you're going to the Silver Mountains to catch Sonic and get your treasure." "Exactly." "And I'm going there to catch Sonic and get money for the cause and hopefully fulfill Tails' plan." "What's this plan?" Rouge asked.  
  
"Alright, Tails insisted Sonic was innocent, so we made up this deal while Sonic and his girlfriend were sleeping in the plane. I would "catch" Sonic with my squad-" "You mean mine," Rouge corrected. "It was mine before you lied to me about that order," Blade shot back. "Anyway, Tails would tell Sonic about it beforehand, he'd pretend to be captured, I'd turn him in and get my reward. Then we'd spring the hedgehog from whatever prison he was in and go from there, try to clear his name or something, figure out who really did it. And with RaGiff on our side…" "RaGiff?" "Long story. Anyway, he made sure Sonic was innocent and he helped us out with this new plan here."  
  
"A bit clever," Rogue said. "But one more question. What's the cause, exactly?" "'Cause I owe it to someone," Blade quickly said. Rouge was satisfied, but Tails wasn't so certain. "I don't know about that, RaGiff mentioned something about…" "Here we go," Rouge interrupted, sensing that Blade wanted to keep this secret for as long as he could. "The Silver Mountains. Sonic should be there by now, right fox boy?" Tails grumbled about the name, but agreed. "Yeah, unless something surprising happens." "And with the way things have been going," Blade added, "that wouldn't be too shocking. Hello," he jumped up suddenly, "what's this?" "What?" Tails and Rouge asked simultaneously.  
  
"I'm getting serious signals from those mountains," he explained. "There's some kind of electronic core over there. Rouge, does the military do any work around the Silver Mountains?" "Not that I know of," she answered.  
  
"Then this could be a bit interesting. RaGiff?" Nothing. "'Giff, I know you're listening, I ain't stupid." "Alright, what is it? You want me to find out what's going on there, don't you?" "Good guess. Go to work, man." "Fine, but you owe me big time when you get back here." "If I ever come back." "So, this is RaGiff," Rouge commented. "Do you always just dive right into a conversation without introducing yourself, especially with a woman here?" "I tell you one thing, you ain't no woman." "Well then, what am I then, Mr. RaGiff?" "It's Mr. Griffin, technically, but if you call me a Mr. again, you will get no more help from me. And second, I'd tell you what you are, but there's a child present, so I'm gonna hafta wait 'til later."  
  
"That's okay," Tails chuckled, "I ain't a completely dumb and innocent little kid." Rouge grumbled a curse under her breath.  
  
"Okay, there's some kinda base there," RaGiff said, "but I can't get a solid reading. Some kind of super-security thing is blocking me. This is really weird, I thought I had a good security system, but this guy is just incredible. He's probably the one who broke through mine too. I'd really like to meet this guy."  
  
"Eggman…" Tails muttered.  
  
"Well then," Blade chuckled, "let's go meet this "Eggman." With that, he thrust his lever forward and flew towards the mountains, Tails and Rouge following. 


	7. Chapter 27 Race to Silver Mountain

Chapter 27  
  
Race to Silver Mountain  
  
"Knuckles??" Sonic stuttered. "How did…I mean…you're supposed to…" "Didn't think I'd make it, did you?" Knuckles chuckled. He was enjoying every minute of this. "Thought you were done when you got me before, didn't you? If you're gonna shoot an echidna, Sonic, you'd better be prepared to finish the job. Though I'm surprised someone as hard-nosed as you would stoop down to using a weapon to kill me." "I didn't…"  
  
"Of course you didn't," Knuckles interrupted. "You didn't think, and that's why I'm here right now, and you're standing in front of me like a terrified puppy, waiting for me to beat the crap out of you." He pounded his fists together. Sonic finally gave up, realizing there was no way to reason with Knuckles. Apparently, whoever tried to frame him for this murder didn't do a very good job of it. It was either fight or flight. He wanted to fight this time-it appeared that the others were backing off, giving Knuckles his just whacks-but he also wanted to get to Eggman before he continued with his little plan. Obviously, the doctor had wanted to get Sonic out of the way so he could proceed with some new, crazy plot to control the world. So, once more, it was decision time. Settle a grudge, or save the world? Sonic's ego took over.  
  
"Let's go you fat, lazy echidna," Sonic laughed. "I don't suppose you've been out here training this whole time." "I've had the best training possible," Knuckles retorted. "Better than any on Earth. The other world's labyrinth got me so fit, I'm stronger than anyone. You probably couldn't beat me even if you were Super, but you probably lost those Emeralds already, haven't you?" Wonderful, Sonic thought. He's angry and crazy. Other world? He looked at Mighty for a second. The armadillo shrugged and pointed to Knuckles while spinning one finger by his head. Sonic nodded.  
  
"I wouldn't say lost," Sonic said. "More like "had them taken from me.""  
  
"Same thing." Knuckles bared down. "No more stalling, Sonic. Less chat, more smack."   
  
Then, he charged at Sonic, head down as if he were going to ram him. Sonic jumped over the charging echidna, allowing him to slam into the side of the mountain. Quick to rebound, Knuckles ran back to where Sonic landed and threw a heavy right punch, which Sonic calmly moved his head away from. Playing mainly the defensive, Sonic smiled almost evilly as Knuckles threw punch after punch, all easily dodged. But soon, Sonic ran out of room to back down, as he became pinned between Knuckles and a tree, and was forced to run up it. Knuckles responded by literally uprooting the same giant tree and tossing it far into the woods. A crashing sound was heard as the tree fell from the dusk sky and into the sea of green before them. A loud yelp followed.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Wow," Vector murmured. "That didn't last too long." "And to think," Mighty continued, "all four of us couldn't do it together." "The champ is back!" cheered Charmy.  
  
"All too true," Espio agreed quietly.  
  
Knuckles stood with a triumphant look. Then, as quickly as it came, it disappeared.  
  
"Shut up," he told them. He listened. So did the others. They heard nothing. But Knuckles obviously did. "He's still there!" Knuckles barked after a few seconds, and he took off into the woods. The other members of the Chaotix gang just stared.  
  
"Did you hear something?" Charmy asked. No one else nodded or shook their head, so Charmy took that as a no. Instinctively, they all copied Knuckles' pattern, Espio leading the way.  
  
What a lucky break! That echidna was just too gullible.  
  
Sonic ran ahead to his destination-the Silver Mountains-with a cheerful demeanor. Knuckles' pride had gotten in the way once more. He was so eager to get Sonic back that he instantly thought he was dead. It took more than that to kill Sonic the Hedgehog anyway, even if he hadn't jumped off the top of the tree at the last second. Now, even if Knuckles realized he wasn't gone yet, he wouldn't be fast enough to catch up to him.  
  
"….I…will…kill…you…!…" Knuckles' shouting was probably enough to wake the dead, but Sonic was so far away it sounded like a faint whisper.  
  
Here was the first of the mountains. This was the tricky part-Sonic didn't know exactly where in the Silver Mountains Eggman's base was. He'd just have to guess.  
  
As he ran up this first one, he sighed, knowing he would have to handle more caverns. At least they wouldn't be volcanic.  
  
Would they?  
  
"Okay, what's the plan?" Tails asked Blade.  
  
"No no," Rouge cut in. "I'm the military officer, I'll make the plans." "You used to be a military officer," Blade corrected. "Now you're another convict. I should turn you in right now."  
  
"Will you all just shut you holes?" RaGiff yelled. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm the one who got you all here. Without me, you're all nothin'. So I think I should be the one in charge, makin' the plans."  
  
"Fine," Rouge conceded. "What's the plan?" "I don't have one yet," RaGiff said. "You don't know how much I want to strangle you right now, 'Giff," Blade growled.  
  
"Nah, just kiddin'. I got a plan. You three swoop in and started firing on this base. He'll probably have some intense security precautions, so Blade, I suggest you put your ship on autopilot and hit the wing with your sword. Now, soon, they're gonna flood the sky with fighters, so that's when you all go on autopilot-" "Don't have one," Tails immediately rejected.  
  
"Then just jump out. All of you descend on the base once the air gets too crowded. I'll come up with a plan to infiltrate by then and give it to you."  
  
"Hold on, what's that?" Tails asked. He looked down at the forest below. A yellow light flashed on and off in the woods by Red Mountain.  
  
"What's what?" Rouge asked.  
  
"That," he repeated. "That thing sparking down there." "I see it," Blade said. "Thing's gonna start a forest fire." "Well, Mr. Fox," RaGiff laughed, "you just got a lucky break. You can go down there and check it out if you don't want to come with them because of the autopilot thing. Enjoy, but hurry back. We need you back there."  
  
"Be back in a minute," Tails said, accepting his leave of absence. He swooped down and landed by the mountain base, careful not to grind up against any of the trees. Once down, he jumped out of his ship and found the source of the yellow spark.  
  
It was a dismantled Metal Sonic.  
  
"Looks like someone did a number on you," Tails said to the inactive machine. "Three guesses who." Wary not to be hit by one of the sparks, he examined Metal for a good few minutes. Then, he concluded, "I can fix you up." He thought of how helpful it would be in attacking Eggman, having the only thing as strong as Sonic helping out.  
  
Then, he realized the consequences. If Metal reverted to his evil self, programmed to do Eggman's will, it could be disastrous. He'd be the only one who could beat it before it went out again, and he didn't think his ship could handle him, let alone Tails by himself. This was a serious gamble. Could he risk it?  
  
Amy stood on Red Mountain, shaking. Not due to fear or cold, but because the mountain itself was shaking her. This place was ready to blow. Where were those Silver Mountains? The answer stood just ahead of her. Behind a forest of rustling trees were the mountains. Just above were two airplanes, flying in that direction. They must be Rouge and that Blade guy, Amy thought. But where was the other plane, Tails' plane? She walked near the edge of the path she stood on and peered over. She still couldn't see a plane…  
  
But something below caught her attention. A quick flash of yellow. Something below was flashing, or sparking, or something. Amy quickly jerked her head down to see it.  
  
It was Tails!  
  
His plane resting not far from him, Tails was kneeling down near…  
  
"Oh my God!" she whispered. He was repairing Metal Sonic!  
  
He was going to use Metal to get Sonic! And her too, if she didn't stop him. It was time for a beat-down, Amy Rose style. Hammer reared behind her, she leapt high into the air, ready to slam him into the ground.  
  
"Amy! What the-" "TEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" 


	8. Chapter 28 Echidna's Domain

Chapter 28  
  
Echidna's Domain  
  
Well, here it was. The first cavern. Did he dare go in? He could just go up and go over that way, but it would take longer. If he cut through the cavern, though, he would get to the other side of this mountain a lot quicker. But he had come too close to death the last time he went through a cave like this. Did he dare go in? This wasn't a time to take risks.  
  
Which, Sonic figured, was probably the best reason to do it.  
  
He ducked into the cave and looked. Almost to his dismay, he witnessed a cold, dark blue and black cavern, stalactites and stalagmites abundant on the floors, ceilings, and walls, daggers cemented to the tunnel. This wasn't as dangerous as the cave before, but more eerie. This seemed like something Knuckles would be good at.  
  
Oh, crap.  
  
If Knuckles saw him, he'd come in and gain some serious ground. Time to pick up the pace.  
  
The moment he started running, though, he had to come to a grinding halt. A spike pit beneath him. He sighed and ran down the wall of the pit, dodged the spikes, and sped up the other side. Just seconds later, he barely stopped as a particularly large stalactite came crashing to the floor an inch before him. So this is what Knuckles did for a living. Sonic was amazed he hadn't died sixty times before this.  
  
Sonic continued on. Oddly enough, a torch lit the next stretch of the tunnel. Weird, how'd a torch stay lit this whole time, Sonic thought. He ran on, then screamed in fear as he saw a large boulder fall from above. No time to run. Sonic jumped towards it instead and began spinning as fast as he could. He made contact and began pushing. Almost done, can't last much longer…A rush of air. Yes! He blasted up and planted his feet on the only flat part of the ceiling, watching the boulder, now with a perfect hole drilled through it, crash to the floor. Once he knew it was safe, Sonic shot towards the ground and landed again.  
  
A few minutes and heaven only knew how many near deaths later, Sonic thought he saw the exit. He couldn't tell now because it was night, at least not from this far away. As he ran closer, his initial hunch was confirmed, as he saw moonlight slowly find its way into the dark cave.  
  
Something hit Sonic hard in his back, sending him to the ground. Pain searing through his body, he rolled over to see the ceiling. Quickly, he rolled again to avoid a falling stalactite and stood up to face Knuckles.  
  
"So careless," the echidna told him, smirking. "You think just because you had a head start on me means you would escape?" He stopped, his smile slowly disintegrating. "So careless," he repeated.  
  
Sonic didn't have time for this. He spun around and ran for the exit, but Knuckles swooped down in front of him. "Running away again? So careless," he said again. "Quit being all mysterious-like," Sonic said. "I know you're not some weird spirit from the dead. Eggman just did a crappy job of trying to kill you."  
  
"Eggman," Knuckles muttered, smile returning, "has nothing to do with this. Right now, it's just me and you. And this time," he commented, looking around at the cave, "the advantage is mine. We are in my domain, Sonic. And you're not welcome."  
  
"Gak! Argh!"  
  
"Squirm, you little backstabber!" Amy yelled as she choked Tails with a vine that had been hanging from one of the trees. "This is much less than you deserve, but it's the best I can do for now!"  
  
"A-m-EARH!"  
  
"Shut up and die!" she screamed.  
  
A second later, Amy was silent like the grave. A long, sharp sword had slid beneath her throat.  
  
"I believe you've stolen my line," Blade muttered. "Let him go. On your feet."  
  
Amy slowly rose to her feet, the sword following her. Tails gasped for breath on the ground below them.  
  
"Figures," he turned to Tails for a second. "I leave you alone for five minutes and you're a few seconds from death. No wonder your friend couldn't ever get a break-he probably had to save your hide too many times." He then returned his attention to Amy. "I think you're going to come with me," the swordsman continued, "and listen to a friend of mine. You'll be very interested in what he has to say."  
  
"I hope you know," Tails panted, "no one appreciates it when you just insult them every time they make a mistake."  
  
"You know what?" Blade said, faking realization. "You're right. But no one likes taxes, death, pain, losing, and mother-in-laws, but they have to deal with them too. So get used to it." Tails sighed and followed Blade and Amy as they walked back to the War Machine. On the way, Blade pulled out a small communication radio.  
  
"Rouge, this is Kasille. Come to the base of Red Mountain, the leeward side. We're going to try one last plan."  
  
"God," Espio panted. "When he wants to, he can run pretty damn fast." "You bet," Vector responded as the group continued to run through the forest. "You're probably the fastest one here, and he's still a good mile ahead." "Es," Mighty gasped, "go ahead. Don't let us hold you back…Just catch up to him and radio us with your…" But the armadillo was barely breathing anymore, let alone talking.  
  
Espio nodded and sped ahead in a shimmering streak of purple.  
  
"Never knew HE was that fast," panted Mighty.  
  
"Yeah," Vector agreed. "It's that whole ninja thing he's been getting into. He's all mysterious-like now, too." Mighty wasn't convinced. "But not mysterious enough to keep his big trap shut when he needs to." The group continued to lag behind until Espio was completely out of sight. Soon, a large, black…something…whizzed past. The remainder of the Chaotix group halted to see what it was, but no one could make it out. They were about to get running again when "it" returned. This time, it stopped right next to them. A long, sleek black…  
  
The image sparked a horrifying memory inside Mighty's head. His mind immediately went blank except for one command.  
  
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Mighty pointed at the object and ran off into the woods. The hover car took off after him. Vector and Charmy watched the two go off.  
  
"Was that…?" Vector asked, pointing to the departing machine. Charmy nodded.  
  
"Should we go after it, then?"  
  
Charmy looked down the path the machine had made. Then he looked back at Vector, who was also looking at him. They smiled at each other, then simultaneously shook their heads and ran off in the direction Knuckles was headed.  
  
But after a few minutes of mindless running, they realized that, in all the commotion, they had forgotten exactly which direction Knuckles, Sonic, and Espio had gone. They could no longer hear Mighty's screams, so they guessed that bounty hunter had caught him, or they were fighting. But that also meant they had no clue where they were. Which meant they had no clue where they were, either.  
  
"Now what?" Charmy asked. But Vector's mind was quicker than usual. He flicked on the two-way radio and spoke. "Mighty. Espio. Knuckles? Where are you? This is Vector, Charmy is with me." Nothing. Just a lot of static and the occasional crackle, followed by more static.  
  
"Great," grumbled the crocodile.  
  
"The trees are probably getting in the way," Charmy offered. "Let me try." He plucked the radio from Vector's hand and flew high above the forest, out of sight. Vector couldn't hear what he was saying, but he assumed it was something similar to what he had said. In a minute, the bee had flown back down with the radio. "I talked to Espio. He hasn't found Knuckles yet, but he thinks he saw him go into one of the Silver Mountains. Mighty didn't respond. So we should just keep going this way," he explained, pointing in the same direction as they had been going before.  
  
Vector rolled his eyes. "What a waste of time," he murmured. "Whatever, let's go." 


	9. Chapter 29 Long Time Coming

Chapter 29  
  
Long Time Coming  
  
"I don't have time for this!" Sonic shouted as he slid out of the way of Knuckles, who slammed his fist into the ground right where Sonic had been a second ago. The echidna quickly turned and threw punch after punch in Sonic's direction. "Eggman's-been-messing-with-your-head!" he tried to reason with Knuckles. But again, nothing stopped Knuckles when he was fired up. So, it was fight time.  
  
The echidna chuckled and jumped high up. Higher, higher, higher, until Sonic could no longer see him. "This is what I mean," Knuckles explained, though Sonic couldn't see him, "when I say I have the home-field advantage." "Yeah, but you're home crowd's booing and leaving early to beat the traffic," Sonic snapped back. But in reality, he was scared. Knuckles was crafty like this, he could pop out from anywhere and snap his back in two or bust his head in. If there was ever a time he needed his super-quick reflexes, this was it. The exit. He could make a run for the exit. Nah, no chance, Knuckles would catch him.  
  
"Mistake!" the echidna laughed and he came out of nowhere to hammer Sonic in the stomach. Almost all the air inside Sonic rushed out of him at that moment as he fell down. Fool, he thought. He let his guard down. For less than a second, maybe, but the window of time had been enough to get him-and taunt him too.  
  
"Alright pinky," Sonic wheezed as he got back up, "your fun and games are over. It's time we fought for real." Knuckles shrugged and jumped back up to the ceiling again. Good God, he didn't have a chance if he kept this up.  
  
Then, an idea. Crazy enough to get himself flattened into a piece of salami, stupid enough to work.  
  
He made a run for it.  
  
"Mistake two!" Knuckles bellowed as he came careening from the ceiling. But something happened that threw off Knuckles' timing. Sonic stopped. And the echidna buried his fist into the solid floor, shattering the top to pieces. He howled in incredible pain.  
  
"Mistake!" In one smooth motion, Sonic grabbed Knuckles' arm, yanked it out of the hole, and threw him across the hallway into a wall. The body bounced off the wall into the air. Sonic blasted ahead, did a quick hop, and landed a picture perfect roundhouse to Knuckles' head, sending the echidna spinning to the ground. Better not let him back, he figured, and he dragged him up and threw him to the center of the room. Before Knuckles had a chance to react, Sonic was running towards him. WHAM! A heavy drop kick. Down went Knuckles again.  
  
"C'mon, pinky," Sonic smiled, realizing he had a new insulting term to use on Knuckles. "Maybe I'm mistaken, but you're the one who wants to fight."  
  
A groaning Knuckles rose to his feet again. "You think I'm done yet?" he growled. "I've got a few more tricks left." In a second, Knuckles burrowed underground.  
  
"Not this bull again," Sonic groaned, and he jumped up to the ceiling. Knuckles would have to come up eventually. And if he didn't…  
  
Sonic couldn't hold much longer. And Knuckles was still under. Was this his little trap, wait for him to fall and hammer him then? Well, he'd find some kind of loophole, no sweat. Three, two, one…  
  
Down he fell. Time for his trusty little move. Once more, he curled into a ball and drilled into the ground. There he was! "Of all the dumb mistakes you have made…" Knuckles laughed once Sonic was all the way inside the tunnel. Sonic soon realized this as well. Knuckles was almost unbeatable underground. He needed to get out of there.  
  
"No, you're not leaving," Knuckles countered, almost reading Sonic's mind. "You got yourself into this, you're gonna have to live with it." Then, shaking furiously, Knuckles planted his foot and charged towards Sonic. But Sonic was faster. He jumped out of his own hole and curled into a spinning ball once more. Just as he predicted, Knuckles popped his head out of the hole and came spiraling upward towards Sonic, fists bared and jutting forward.  
  
The two collided in mid-air.  
  
"Okay, let's clear this up right now," Amy told RaGiff once Blade had left the hovercar to get that armadillo he was chasing. "Tails isn't a traitor, and Blade isn't the bad guy." "Yep."  
  
"Tails was trying to help Sonic and Blade at once with that little plan." "Uh huh."  
  
"The Chaotix guys aren't bad, they just thought Sonic killed Knuckles." "Yeah."  
  
"And now we're going to attack Eggman because Tails says he probably framed Sonic for killing Knuckles." "That's about the half of it."  
  
"Anything I left out?" "Rouge is helping." "What?!?"  
  
"Hiya!" Rouge cut in on the intercom, as if to confirm the point.  
  
"We can't trust her!" Amy cried. "I'm shocked the government can, but she just abuses her rights to get more treasure!" "Rouge, is that right?" RaGiff asked, almost jokingly, figuring Amy just had a grudge against the bat. "Sure is." RaGiff's eyes widened, although no one could see it at that time. However, the long pause portrayed his feeling.  
  
"Fine, whatever. Rouge is here, and we should utilize her skills in some way. You're real stealthy then, right?" "Hell ya. Can break into anything in the universe. Fort Knox is probably the easiest," she bragged. "Sure. Then you could prove useful…" Rapping on the window of the car. It was Blade. Tails pressed a button to open it. A sound of rushing air, then the door opened. Blade and the armadillo walked in, squeezing Amy and Tails together near the window. More space was created when Blade moved to the driver's seat, but it was still getting crowded. "This is Mighty," Blade explained to the group. "Everyone say hi." No one said anything. Not even RaGiff.  
  
"Good, now that we know each other," Blade said, and he powered up the machine again. He checked the energy gauge. Medium. He had enough for now. "We're going to need as many people as possible. Mighty, where's the others you were with?"  
  
"I don't know, but they're probably going to the Silver Mountains," Mighty answered. "But wait, I thought Eggman was supposed to be some prominent politician now." Blade thrust the acceleration lever forward. "So did I, but I'm not always right." "But I am," RaGiff piped up.  
  
"Shaddup," Blade wanted to say, but a beeping sound caught his attention. It came from behind him, inside the car. Was someone attacking him? No, it was something Mighty was carrying. A radio of some sort. Blade couldn't hear anything but crackling and Mighty talking to whoever was on the other end.  
  
"What? Where are you? All right, see ya." Finally, the armadillo pressed a button to turn it off. "Stay away from the mountain for a bit," Mighty told them. "Espio says there's an rockslide." "Great," Blade moaned. "Rouge, you hear me?" "Yeah, what?" "Touch down somewhere in the forest, and we'll meet up with you there. We've got to think of something else. Let's just get everyone together for a bit."  
  
Normally, he would just run up, but to catch up to Knuckles, Espio decided to scale the mountain instead. He climbed easily-this rock was fairly soft compared to other mountains he had gone up before. It was tall, to be sure, but not too big. Plus, he had gotten faster through training.  
  
Tiny pebbles fell from above, pelting him on the rare occasion. He'd been lucky so far. Most mountains had a couple big ones he had to move out of the way of. Knuckles was still quicker than him at scaling, so Espio needed every advantage he could to catch up.  
  
Finally, he came to a trail. After almost five minutes of all-out climbing, running seemed like a cakewalk. He flipped himself onto the path and began to run up. His arms were heavy from the work, and his legs ached a bit, but running actually made them feel better.  
  
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from…where? Espio initially thought from the inside, but then it continued on. It must be from the top. That meant one thing-rock avalanche. He needed to get inside the mountain somehow. Just keep running, there must be a…  
  
"Cave!" he yelled to nobody. He ducked inside the dark, dank cavern and flipped on his radio. "Mighty, Espio shouted into it, "Vector, Charmy, whoever can hear me, Silver Mountain is coming down. Stay away until I tell you." He was about to flip it off when Mighty came on.  
  
"What?" "There's a rockslide on Silver Mountain. It's gonna crush anyone that comes near." "Where are you?" "I'm in some kind of cave. I'll call you again when it's safe." "All right, see ya."  
  
Espio turned his attention to the other two.  
  
"Charmy, do you hear me? Vector???"  
  
Nothing but static. Great. What now?  
  
Then, Espio heard something coming from inside the cave. Much deeper. Shouts and screams, shaking and cracking. He dashed on into the cave, then halted when he saw the spike pit. He figured there was more to come after this. Espio cracked his knuckles, cleaned off his horn, and put his hand out in front of him. Time for some of that ninja training to pay off. 


	10. Chapter 30 Memories

Chapter 30  
  
Memories  
  
Wow, what Grandpa said really was true. Big felt so much better now!  
  
After the echidna and all those other animals left, Big was completely confused. And what had Grandpa told him to do when he didn't know which way was up? Why, take a hike in the woods! And for some reason, everything made sense! Something weird was happening that he didn't need to be a part of. So why bother with it? If it bugged him or Froggy again, he'd handle it.  
  
"Right, Froggy?" he asked his amphibian friend. A loud, crackling croak came in response-Big generally associated that with "Yeah." A second or two more and it'd be "Hell yeah." Big smiled and decided to head back home.  
  
The only problem was, he forgot which direction home was. He had been so wrapped up in thought (Who ever figured that would happen? Not Dad, that was for sure) that he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. He was lost!  
  
But Big didn't worry. He was the true blue American outdoorsman. Well, not necessarily American-he was actually born just inside Canada-but still a skilled one. The Boy Scouts had nothing on him.  
  
It was already pitch-black out. He wouldn't have enough time to find his way back now. He'd have to wait 'til morning. So he decided to set up camp. He broke off scores of tree branches while Froggy dug up a fire pit. But when Big got back with nearly thirty pounds worth of sticks, the pit was only about three inches wide and not much more deep.  
  
"Froggy," Big sighed, shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you?" He began to help Froggy with the pit. Once it was completely dug up, the sun had almost completely set. It was time to get the fire started. He set up the sticks in a large "log cabin" formation, very tall, in hopes that the fire signal would go high enough for someone to see in case he still couldn't find his way back tomorrow. Now, the tricky part-actually getting the fire to start. Now, what was the most effective way again? He knew that movie cliché "rub two sticks together" didn't work as well, but that might be the only choice here. But first, he needed to try something else. He grabbed a couple rocks and surrounded the fire pit with them. Then, he picked one branch and repeatedly struck the rock with it. Nothing. Big sighed and began rubbing two sticks together above the tall tower. Nothing still. But instantly, the tower lit in a quick blaze.  
  
And a man's face appeared behind it. Hair a charcoal brown, eyes the color of the fire, and a very unfriendly expression.  
  
"Is that really the only thing you could think of?" the face growled. "C'mon, I never went camping and I still know more survival skills than you." "Wh…who are you?" stuttered Big.  
  
"Sure, you can set up a fire, barely. But can you escape from a mountain lion? Do you know how to fend off a shark? Defeat a bear? Survive outside in sub-zero weather for two weeks? I did it all, and I can assure you it wasn't because I decided to go for a little nature walk."  
  
"Who are you?" Big repeated. Froggy got out a tiny croak.  
  
"You know me, you tubby tabby." Big's memory flashed an image of the bounty hunter.  
  
"You! What are you doing here?"  
  
"It wasn't to roast marshmallows. I want you to come with me." "Why?" "It involves Sonic."  
  
The man began to turn around, then slowly returned his gaze to Big. "By the way, you didn't start that fire yourself, either," he muttered. A smile graced his face as he held up his sword, glowing a dark crimson red.  
  
And suddenly, the man simply turned and walked back, as if he expected Big to follow him. But then, Big thought for a minute. He owed a lot to Sonic and his friends-they'd helped him find Froggy not once, but twice. He needed to give something back. If this guy was telling the truth…But wait-wasn't that guy after Sonic? Maybe he was trying to trick him into giving more information on where he was! He had to find out what was going on. So he did exactly what the warrior wanted-he followed.  
  
Espio scaled the ceiling. It was the only choice. The floor and walls were completely filled with spikes. He was so lucky he had developed his skills so well, otherwise he would have been stuck back at the start. Or dead, thanks to…  
  
Rumble, rumble, rumble…  
  
The rockslide. The noise from inside the cave continued. Reason enough to keep going.  
  
It took all his strength to keep him on the ceiling. Upper body weakening, arms straining to hold on. Certain death lay below. Just a few more feet, he told himself. It couldn't be too much longer, could it?  
  
Rumble, rumble, rumble…  
  
He hoped Mighty and the others were okay. Oh crap, Vector and Charmy still didn't know about it, unless they were already experiencing it.  
  
Here we go, a flat area not too far ahead. Spikes now rested on the ceiling before him. Quick, before you fall!  
  
Rumble, rumble, rumble…  
  
It was like a combination of climbing before and climbing now. Every time he moved it was like trying to lift a twenty ton weight with one arm. Mighty just might be able to pull that off, a long shot, now that Espio thought about it. Just make it to the end and you'll be able to run, he insisted on himself. It won't be much longer now.  
  
Rumble, rumble, rumble…  
  
Now, time to eyeball his landing. If he let go too soon, he'd still hit the spikes. He had to be sure he was completely over the tunnel of points. But if he stayed too long, he'd climb into another path of spikes. He would have to let go at the perfect point, not too short, not too far.  
  
Rumble, rumble, rumble…  
  
Espio's left arm gave out.  
  
It hung limp at his side as only his right arm held him up. He needed to pull off something big to make this work.  
  
He heard a crashing sound far away, followed by a crackling sound too similar to lightning for his comfort.  
  
Espio's right arm gave out.  
  
Once he reentered his car…  
  
"What did he say?" Amy piped up. No wonder the hedgehog didn't appear to like her. Before you could do anything, she needed to know everything.  
  
"He's coming," he mumbled. His immediate stoppage of speech was a good enough hint, even for Amy, that he didn't want to be bothered right now.  
  
He popped open his storage closet. Normally, he'd call it a glove compartment, just like everyone else, but RaGiff wouldn't hear of it.  
  
"This is my own creation," he'd said. "My baby! I can't call it just some "glove compartment," man!"  
  
So, just to spite him…  
  
"RaGiff, I'm using you're cool little glove compartment now." "I knew that was coming soon," RaGiff growled.  
  
Blade poked through a couple useless papers and warrants until he found…  
  
The envelope.  
  
His last memories. Of her.  
  
God, how long had it been?  
  
A couple photos, one small, one large, fell out of the envelope. He picked them up and looked at them.  
  
The first one was actually a Christmas card. On the left was a little "Merry Christmas" icon along with a quick personal message from her. "Thanks for everything we've had, Leo. Happy holidays! Love, Cassie."  
  
On the right side was an absolutely stunning picture of her. Long brown hair combed straight down, pure white smile, slightly tanned skin, beautiful blue eyes…God, those eyes…So cheerful.  
  
"She's beautiful," a voice from behind commented. Amy.  
  
Normally, Blade would have brushed her off, yelled at her, something. But now, he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he liked it.  
  
"Yeah," he murmured. "Yeah…"  
  
"So you're real name is Leo?" No response from Blade. He had already started looking at another picture.  
  
This one was a picture of them on their summer vacation, just a few months before he was drafted into the army. They stood in front of a flat, grassy field, Cassie's head resting on his shoulder, smiling. At that time, she had dyed her hair red with a solid silver streak along the side. "You two look so happy," Amy said. "Together." Blade simply nodded this time. "It's the last time I remember…with her." "What happened?" Blade still did not look at Amy. "I…left…"  
  
His head came closer to his body.  
  
"War…I came back and…"  
  
He stopped. His head now rested on his hand. Trembling… Amy put her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. She knew that even the toughest of people had a heart, a soul. He was almost like Shadow, in an odd way.  
  
"Have to find her…" "I'm so sorry," Amy began.  
  
"You can't understand…I'm sorry…" Blade rubbed his hand against his face, as if to wipe away tears. "We're not done yet." He was slowly regaining his composure. "Mighty, which direction did the hedgehog go in?" "Sonic? He and Knuckles went near that mountain over there, but that's all I saw," the armadillo answered. "But we can't go there, the rockslide-" "No rockslide," he told Mighty, "is getting in our way. We're running low on time, and if we're gonna stop that Eggman person…" His voice trailed off as something came to light.  
  
"Did you say Knuckles?" 


	11. Chapter 31 Another Thrill Nut

Chapter 31  
  
Another Thrill Nut  
  
The electricity sparked around the new body, the new host. Power surged through her. This was the norm with possessing robots, though-it seems like you're invincible, then you find a major flaw and wham-you've gotta find something else. She wasn't sure of which one she had taken, or how strong it was, but it would do for now. It was a shame she lost that last one on the mountain, it truly was a powerful one. That rodent was going to prove to be a much bigger problem than before. It was her own fault, really. But she couldn't dwell on past mistakes. Her plan would still work fine, even with this minor setback. The doctor's base was a utopia of strong metal soldiers-hosts for her army.  
  
"Mistress…"  
  
One of the henchmen.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"The next victims…they are coming soon…"  
  
If the robot she had could give emotions, a very evil smile would have appeared on her face.  
  
"Very good," she whispered in a metallic voice. "What of the doctor?" "He is still here…but he knows not of our plot…" "But he probably noticed the odd behaviors of his robots." "Yes…"  
  
She thought for a minute. The screens of the room, including a real-time detection map and the occasional clock, beeped and flashed. She looked at one of the flashing times, then laughed to herself.  
  
"In the words of Mr. Dark, "The doctor's clock. Stop it.""  
  
"Yes," Mighty answered, "Knuckles is alive." "Then Sonic didn't do anything?" "He never did anything in the first place. This is just further proof." "Is he hurt in any way?" "Apparently not. He says he was already dead, though." "What?"  
  
Mighty didn't respond yet because someone rapped on the window. "Big," Blade murmured without even looking. "Let 'im in." Someone in the back pressed a button-Blade didn't see who-and Big pushed his way in. He heard a slight gasping for air, followed by a spark, and a shriek from behind.  
  
"Did you have to bring that rust bucket along with you?" Blade asked Tails. "You know it probably won't do anything in the long run." A cough came in response. He took it as a yes.  
  
"Please continue," Blade told Mighty. "He fed us some story about how he visited some weird "other world" and a labyrinth," the armadillo wheezed. "Well this is wonderful," Blade groaned. "The echidna's alive, he's just completely insane."  
  
"That's what I said."  
  
"Okay, fine. We've got to follow him one way or another. So we're gonna try to pull this off. Brace yourself, guys." He then turned to Amy and grinned. "If you think Sonic was a thrill nut, you ain't seen nothin' yet."  
  
Mighty and Big didn't know what to think of this comment, but Tails and Amy's faces wore expressions of pure horror.  
  
"Let's see how much juice this thing has left," the bounty hunter cackled.  
  
"Don't think that's such a good-" RaGiff began.  
  
"WHOOOOOOOOHOOHOOHOOO!"  
  
"No one ever listens to me anymore…"  
  
In a nearly superhuman effort, the ninja-like chameleon pretty much willed his way to the other side of the spike pit and bounced off the floor just before it crumbled into the death trap below.  
  
But the fun didn't stop there.  
  
A set of stalactites plummeted from the roof of the cave, spears flying towards him. Espio ran through the maze of daggers, flipped over one that had already hit the floor, rolled past another that barely missed him, and dashed ahead in a blaze of violet as the rest of the stalactites pelted the rock path behind him.  
  
Just as Espio thought he had escaped, the floor shook and crumbled once again. Down he fell, plummeting until he moved over to a wall and planted his feet. He bounced over to the other wall, barely missing a couple falling stones, and began running up the circular pit, around and around, higher and higher, until he reached the top. Espio then tried to press his hand on the top and flip upward, but his arms were simply too heavy. So instead, he shoved off the wall with his legs and flew out of the hole, flipping like crazy, landing on the cave floor at last.  
  
Espio would never know himself how exactly he had managed to pull that off, but he knew he had saved his skin once again.  
  
After going through a lighted tunnel with pieces of rock scattered everywhere, the chameleon walked down a long, descending tunnel until he reached a roadblock. A huge boulder sealed away the passage to the next area of the cavern. In his weakened state, he could not even think of lifting or moving it. There had to be a way around.  
  
Actually, there wasn't a way around. But someone else found him a way through.  
  
Suddenly, something came flying through the rock, shattering it to pieces and knocking Espio backwards, crushed under the thing and numerous pieces of stone. Once he had opened his eyes, he tried to make out what exactly had happened. But a large, red rock blocked his line of sight.  
  
Wait. Not a rock. Knuckles.  
  
"Finished yet, Red?" laughed a voice. Sonic. So, the hedgehog couldn't do it before, so he was trying to kill Knuckles again! In fear of being spotted, he initiated his ninja Leaf Swirl. A couple of the rocks shook as green leaves appeared from nowhere and flipped over Espio, but Sonic was too focused on Knuckles to notice. In a second, Espio was invisible. The first thing he did was start taunting Sonic. The only way to do that was to get his attention.  
  
"Ow!" he yelped as something hit him in the head. What was that all about? He hadn't seen Knuckles move… "Who is it? Show yourself!" he shouted.  
  
"No, I don't think I will," Espio teased. "At least tell me who it is," demanded Sonic, whirling around. This was creepy.  
  
"Don't think I'll do that either," retorted the chameleon as he walked to the other side of the room undetected..  
  
"It's the bounty hunter, isn't it Swordy?" Sonic concluded. "What's going on? If you've done anything to Amy, I'll…" Now this really wasn't like him. Occasionally, he'd save Amy's skin for the fun of it (and because it was the right thing to do-damn, he hated when he had to do that), but to publicly threaten someone for her safety was just beyond him. Could it possibly be…? No way. He'd made that promise to himself early on that that would never happen.  
  
Espio chuckled. He was enjoying this. "No, I don't have your girlfriend-" "SHE'S NOT MY @*&$^@#&! GIRLFRIEND!" "Well, you might want to watch your mouth there. This is a PG-13 rated cave."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Again, I don't think I will."  
  
"God, you're so freakin' annoying, you know? I bet you're just smiling and laughing from wherever the hell you are."  
  
"You're smarter than you look," laughed Espio.  
  
"C'mon, you and me, we've got a score to settle, eh?" Sonic shouted to no one and nothing. "Why don't we just finish this right now?" But before Espio could make a wisecrack response, something beeped in Sonic's ear. What the hell was that? Oh yeaaaaaah. He still had the headset thing on. "We'll settle our rivalry in a second, Blade, I've got an important call."  
  
Now, Espio, now!  
  
But he didn't move. He didn't attack. What was stopping him? He was trying to move, but… "He's mine," growled a low, shaky voice behind him.  
  
Espio stopped struggling. Knuckles released him from his grip and walked slowly towards Sonic. 


	12. Chapter 32 Loss

Chapter 32  
  
Loss  
  
RaGiff clicked away at his keyboard back in Kay, a small town in Jihad, one of the countries of the planet Morphos. This was not the way he wanted to run this project. It seemed like everything that could possibly alter the plan in any way did, in fact, happen. When Blade told him Sonic was a real wild guy, he was really making an understatement. When he said Tails was a bit insecure, he didn't know he could break down or steam ahead without any control. And Blade probably didn't even know what to make of that pink hedgehog. And who could have guessed Knuckles was alive? And that Eggman guy…it was going to be interesting to see who would win in this battle of wits.  
  
But first, he needed to get everyone there. That meant Sonic, the Chaotix guys, Knuckles, everyone. At once.  
  
He hadn't heard from Rouge in a while, so he gave her a buzz.  
  
"What's up?" the bat asked.  
  
"Just wanted to see what you were doing, where you are…"  
  
"I'm right in the middle of nowhere, right next to that big black whatever that the other guy drives, waiting for something to do because YOU told me to stay here." "Good, just wanted to make sure." He cut her off. Having complete communications control could be very entertaining, in an incredibly strange way. Then, he counted.  
  
"Three, two, one…" Buzz.  
  
"Rouge, you there?" "No, I'm actually in France flying around the Eiffel Tower now." "Really? They surrendered to you yet?" "Blade was right. You are a real wiseass." "It's my job. Now, I need you to do something." "Finally, about bloody time." "Just follow Blade. He's goin' pretty fast, so it'll be a bit interesting." "Sounds like a lot of fun. Let me try to hold back my enthusiasm."  
  
Brief pause. Then, RaGiff broke the silence.  
  
"So far, so good." "God, do you know when to shut up?" "Nope, but I know how to get you to." He cut her off again.  
  
Wait, he hadn't heard from Sonic in a while, not since he was flying to Red Mountain. Almost an hour. A lot could happen in an hour, which meant everything had happened in that hour.  
  
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.  
  
Why won't he pick up? "Yello," answered the hedgehog.  
  
RaGiff faked a sniffle. "You…you never call me no more."  
  
"Shut up, I've been a bit busy with trying to avoid certain death." "From who?" "Metal Sonic, the Chaotix guys, Knuckles…" "Oh yeah, forgot to tell ya that, Knux is still kickin'."  
  
"No duh, I just got done fighting him." "Well Blade and the crew you back in the woods, so you need to be "kickin'" it back there." "Uh uh, I'm already in-" THUMP.  
  
The sound of the communicator falling off. Muffled sounds of yelling and collisions. Crunch. No more readout from the communicator.  
  
RaGiff wasn't sure what happened, but he could make a solid guess.  
  
Buzz. Buzz.  
  
"Yeah?" Blade asked.  
  
"Think the two rodents found each other," answered RaGiff.  
  
"Which ones?" "Well, think for a sec. Which two rodents want to beat the crap out of each other?" "Alright, alright…" "Good."  
  
"And you want me to do what about it?" "Get to the mountain before they kill each other. If we're going to shut down this Eggman guy, we're going to need both of them."  
  
"So basically, you want me to bail you and your plan out again?" "Hey man, you all our part of my plans. This is your part of it, k?" Blade was about to answer when…a sharp beeping sound on his dashboard. It was the map. A bright red exclamation point blinked in the lower right hand corner. He tapped it and brought up an aerial map, showing a flashing yellow block representing a "hostile unit" hovering just fifty yards away.  
  
"There's someone chasing me," Blade muttered. "They're following at a solid pace." "Oh, oh, that's probably just the batgirl," RaGiff explained. "We need all you guys in one place, so I told her to follow ya."  
  
"Okay." Now Blade remembered. To the machine's hardware, a "hostile unit" was anything he hadn't identified for it. "So it's not something that's planning to kill me?" "I ain't promisin' nothing from that broad, but yeah, from what I know, she ain't gonna lay a finger on ya. 'less, of course, she lakka ya business." "Shaddup, 'Giff. You've already run up your 'Blade beating the crap out of RaGiff' tab too far on this little endeavor." "But without me, this little endeavor would have landed you in the slammer." "You're never gonna lay off on that, are you?" "Never, my man. Never."  
  
"You never stop, do you?" Sonic asked Knuckles as the echidna threw his bruised and tired fists around Sonic's head and body. "I have to admire your tenacity, and pity your stupidity." "I…am not through with you…yet…" Knuckles growled back, continuing his relentless barrage of missed punches.  
  
"Oh, sorry, I think I might have used too many big words in that last sentence for you to understand," joked the blue hedgehog. "Would you like me to slow down so you know what I'm saying?" Normally, Knuckles would be infuriated by these comments, but he was too exhausted to respond. Plus, he had a plan of his own. If what he speculated about the "other dimension," that last dimension before heaven, was true…he'd make that rodent pay. He just needed to clear some space between them. Just land one hard punch, then he'd have a shot. But Sonic was too fast, and he didn't even look like he had broken a sweat yet. Just one punch, though…  
  
"You know how many times I could have finished you by now, Knuckles?" said Sonic, getting cockier by the second. "Let's just say it's higher than you can count. Of course, that's not too high, so that might not be a good estimate."  
  
An opening! WHAM!  
  
Sonic had slowed down just enough for Knuckles to get one hard shot to his gut. The hedgehog gasped as he was knocked out of the cave's exit, air rushing out of his body. Knuckles watched groggily as Sonic's body skipped across the rocky floor and fell off the edge of the mountain's path.  
  
That wasn't exactly what he had planned, but it'd have to work. Sonic would most likely have survived in some odd fashion, and would probably have run off deeper into the mountain range to Eggman's base. But no matter. If this worked, he'd be able to catch up to even that smug little hedgehog.  
  
Think, think, think… A faint green glow surrounded his vision. More, more! Would this work on Earth?  
  
His vision was now almost completely emerald green, darker, thicker…  
  
More, he needed more power, power from the Master Emerald.  
  
He could not see anything more than a thick, forest green. Just a little more, he could feel the power surge through him. One more push!  
  
Flash!  
  
Where was Sonic? Eggman was setting as many technological roadblocks as possible. Until that hedgehog got here, he needed to contain the problem as much as possible. But what was that he had said about his "backstabbing fox friend?" Sonic was a great fighter, but he was no technological whiz like that fox Tails was. If he was going to get out of this fix, he'd need that fox.  
  
Bing! Bing! Bing! His door. Who could be coming for him here? Was Sonic here? His sensors, sonar, radar, nothing had picked him up on the way in. Were they failing too? Or was it something else…  
  
"Doctor…"  
  
A metallic, monotone voice. "Sonic, Tails, is that you? Shadow, Rouge, Sonic?" "No, doctor…"  
  
A red and gray robot with a yellow head walked in. It was Gamma Chaos Gamma, to be sure-Eggman had been experimenting with the effects of Chaos Emeralds on his machine's performance and A.I., and this was his first test subject. Chaos Gamma and his other "guinea pig", Chaos Omega, had both fared incredibly well in all tests and examinations. Eggman hoped to create a defense system of robots powered entirely by Emerald shards, and he had used this as a point for his political campaign. This was a definite sign he had reformed, especially for himself. "Gamma," Eggman greeted. "How have you been doing? Are you here for your scan?" Eggman always ran a hardware scan on Gamma and Omega daily to see more direct effects of the Chaos Emeralds.  
  
"No doctor…" "Then…why are you here?" "I am here…to stop your clock…" "What? Gamma, is something wrong with you? I think I should scan you now just in case."  
  
"I am functioning perfectly fine doctor…"  
  
"Good. Then we'll just plug this in here…" Eggman reached for the plug that connected Gamma to the computer when the robot slapped his hand away. "Ack!…Gamma, what is wrong with you?!? We've done this a thousand times, it's not any different now!" "But it is, doctor…Much different…" "Gamma?" Omega now walked into the room. He looked very similar to Gamma, except he was larger with an overall bulkier frame. A dozen other robots followed Chaos Omega into the lab.  
  
"What is going on?" "I have already explained it to you doctor…" Gamma beeped.  
  
"Gamma…?"  
  
The robots surrounded him, all with guns jutting from their arms. Omega opened two compartments on its chest, revealing twin sets of rocket launchers. Gamma simply walked forward, red eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid the time where we were in need of your services has passed. And that makes you obsolete." Gamma raised a finger and wagged it towards Eggman.  
  
"Stop his clock." 


	13. Chapter 33 The Unlikely Savior

Chapter 33  
  
The Unlikely Savior  
  
"Espio, where the hell are you?" Vector shouted into the radio again. "Espio!"  
  
Still nothing. "Figures," the crocodile grumbled, jamming the radio back into his belt. "Demands that we have the friggin' thing for emergencies, and now we can't use it because he can't hear us in it." "We must be getting closer to the mountains," Charmy said. "Look, I think the trees are thinning out." Vector was about to object when he studied them for a minute. "Hey, you're right. Let's hurry up. Knuckles might be all the way through these things by now."  
  
The two sped ahead, Vector pumping his arms as he ran, Charmy zipping by in the air. The patch of trees began getting smaller and smaller until finally, at long last, green turned to light gray.  
  
"The base!" Charmy exclaimed. "'Bout bloody time," agreed Vector. "Let's go."  
  
They began their ascent of the mountain along a path that circled around it. But they hadn't gotten more than a few yards up when Charmy stopped in the air. Vector screeched to a halt behind him.  
  
"What is it?" "Don't you feel that?" Charmy asked.  
  
"Nope. Wait…yeah, the ground's shakin' a bit. This thing volcanic or something?"  
  
"Earthquake?" "No way. What are the odds?"  
  
"Yeah, we should just keep-ACK!" Charmy barely dodged a rock that pelted the ground beside the two. Vector picked it up and observed it before chucking it against the mountain. "You gotta be more careful about this, Charmy. I mean, rocks from the mountain might be small, but if they fall from far enough up, they can-" Vector stopped.  
  
"Kill me?" Charmy finished.  
  
Vector was no longer interested in the conversation, mainly because, after looking up, he now knew where that last rock had come from. Charmy followed his gaze up to the pinnacle of the mountain, where thousands of boulders and rocks tumbled downward.  
  
"AVALANCHE!" they both screamed.  
  
"GOOD FREAKIN' GOD!" shouted Tails, Amy, Mighty, and Big from the back of the car. The remains of Metal Sonic clanked as they pounded the car's back. Only Blade appeared to be content with the speed.  
  
"If you think this is fast…" Blade chuckled. "I'm surprised this is the fastest you've gone considering how much you hang out with that hedgehog." "I do NOT…hang out with that hedgehog!" Mighty corrected.  
  
"Oh shut up." Blade pushed the thruster further up. Crash.  
  
"I think Metal's busted for good…" Tails remarked.  
  
"So? That thing was screwed anyway," countered Amy.  
  
"Well, there was a chance before," began Tails, but a sudden jolt jarred them all from their seats, except for Big, for obvious reasons.  
  
"Why'd we stop?" asked the cat.  
  
Blade looked back at them. "We're here. It's only another hundred yards or so to that mountain." "Why can't we drive closer?" demanded Mighty.  
  
"God you guys are lazy. It's to conserve energy. So we'll have enough to get out of here afterwards. It regenerates energy slightly during periods of non-use, so by the time we get back, we'll have enough to at least make it out of this little wildlife preserve." Tails admitted to himself that it was, in fact, a good idea.  
  
"Okay, 'Giff, any parting words?" "Yeah, bring me back a souvenir. Like "I kicked Eggman's ass and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.""  
  
"No." "Fine, then good luck." "That's more like it." Blade was about to open the hatch door when another alarm went off.  
  
"This isn't another low energy thing, is it?" he groaned. It wasn't.  
  
"What the heck…Seismic activity? RaGiff, tell me you didn't…"  
  
"I was runnin' out of ideas for special features, so I threw one of those in." "So in case of an earthquake, I'd know about it? Don't you think I'd know about it when the ground started shaking uncontrollably?" "Shut up, it's working now." "It's probably just a fluke. Something it thinks is an earthquake that really isn't."  
  
Blade clicked on the exclamation point that had popped up on the screen. A map showed the mountains, the location of him, and the location of Rouge. Small waves emitted from the mountain symbol.  
  
"Seismic activity near that mountain. Is it erupting? RaGiff, in your spare time, did you include a volcano detector or something stupid like that?" "No, but I can see through that monitor and the conditions of the area if you move your fat head." "God, I will kill you." "Yeah, sure, whatever, now scoot." Blade sighed and moved.  
  
"Hey you, the peanut gallery in the back, can you do me a favor and not be there for a little bit?" The four in the back reluctantly parted so RaGiff could see through the back window.  
  
Not even ten seconds passed before RaGiff piped up, "Nope, no volcano." "I'll never know what you just did, will I?" "No. So, the only other explanations are an actual earthquake, which I doubt if it's emanating from a mountain, or…" "The rockslide!" Mighty cried.  
  
"Dammit, he's right!" concluded RaGiff. "That's the only reasonable guess!" "Then let's roll," Blade said coolly. "Buckle up, boys and girls." He pushed the thruster forward and braced himself for… Nothing. "Go!" Blade yelled to the machine.  
  
"Yep, that's gonna work every time," RaGiff teased. "Especially since it won't." "Can you be a little serious?!? We're a minute away from death here!" Amy screamed.  
  
"Fine…Blade, are you sure you have no energy left on that thing?"  
  
"Oh man…Less than .5%. That's not even enough to get us in the air. Can we burst?" "Maybe, just go further from it. Don't try circling the mountain."  
  
"Let's go for it," Blade muttered as the machine continued to beep uncontrollably. He punched the booster and braced himself. The hover car whirred and revved as it drained whatever remained of its energy to boost.  
  
"C'mon, you old thing, go!"  
  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, War Machine thrusted away from the avalanche. After a few seconds, the hover car began to slow down until it ground to a complete stop.  
  
"That should be good for now. Everyone out of the car!" Blade cried. He flipped the switch to open the hatch. Nothing.  
  
"Blade, we can't get out unless the thing's open," Tails muttered.  
  
"I'm very aware of that, you little brat. It won't open." RaGiff thought for a moment. "No energy," he concluded. "No energy, no power to the car whatsoever, no strength to open the hatch." "Damn!"  
  
More shaking.  
  
"It's getting closer," Amy whispered.  
  
Mighty closed his eyes. Big held Tails and Amy close to them as they cowered in fear.  
  
"Not gonna give up yet," Blade told himself. "Rouge, are you there?" "Yeah, what's up?" "Certain death, that's what. How soon can you get down here, and how many can your little ship hold?" "It can hold three, maybe four if they're small, but there's only enough oxygen for one." Blade uttered a curse under his breath. "What's that…" "It's probably the rockslide," Blade grumbled.  
  
"No, I know about that. It looks like…That other mountain is erupting!" "What?" "No lie. There's a river of magma coming right through the forest." "Damn! RaGiff, are you sure there's nothing else we can do???" "Just break the glass! Use your sword, man!" "Big won't fit, we don't have time to fit everyone through, and plus, how do we get out of here after that?" "I dunno, man! I'm thinking of anything now!"  
  
"Tails, can you carry us?" Blade asked. "I don't think I can carry all of you," Tails admitted. "It's useless," Mighty muttered. "Nothing will help." "Can't you be a little more optimistic???" Tails exclaimed.  
  
"Nothing to be optimistic about…"  
  
Big held Amy and Tails closer to him to comfort them as they cowered in fear.  
  
In front, Blade and RaGiff even had given up hope.  
  
"Blade? Are you still there?" Rouge called into the com link.  
  
Blade cut her off.  
  
"God, I'm sorry man," RaGiff tried to console.  
  
"It's alright man…You did all you could." The warrior then dropped his head onto the dashboard as the warnings beeped and flashed still now. "Just…Just tell everyone I said hi…and when you find her…when you find Cassie…" He sniffed. "Just tell her…tell her I'm sorry…"  
  
Before RaGiff could respond, Blade cut off his connection with him.  
  
The red magma came from the front, the rocks from the back.  
  
The beeps became one solid siren as a "Time to Impact" screen appeared. Just another fifteen seconds.  
  
Amy, Tails, and Big cried alongside each other. Mighty sat silent as the grave, eyes still closed and arms folded.  
  
"Is this truly the way it was to end…?" Mighty asked rhetorically.  
  
Five seconds.  
  
A flash from the mountain.  
  
Four.  
  
"Good bye…"  
  
Three.  
  
"I'm sorry…Cassie…'Giff…everyone…" Two.  
  
Another flash, and a whirring from behind the machine.  
  
One.  
  
Loud beeping from behind, louder than the others.  
  
Impact! A final flash somewhere outside the War Machine.  
  
Amy screamed. 


	14. Chapter 34 Reasons Enough

Chapter 34  
  
Reasons Enough  
  
The black night began to swirl around him as he sped down the mountain. Sonic was happier this was a descent rather than an ascent-it was going much faster this way. Stupid echidna had been fooled again-Knuckles probably thought he was dead or something. Now, it was clear sailing to the other mountain, once he got through the… "Whoa!" Sonic yelled as he screeched to a halt, taking a quick gasp of air.  
  
In front of him, carved in the middle of the mountain range, was a massive…city was probably the best way to describe it. Yes, a metallic, futuristic city of some sort. The only reason he referred to it as such was because long, black roads led outward from the city like midnight snakes slithering along the canyon floor. Of metal or of asphalt, Sonic did not know, as he had not run along them yet. He looked down at his feet clad in crimson high tops, resting on the chocolate colored ground. The first road rested just a foot away. Slowly, Sonic inched towards the road, as if fearing he would fall into some everlasting pit if he touched it.  
  
BOOM! The ground shook violently underneath him. Sonic barely kept his balance as his body swung to and fro. Finally, the rumbling tapered off until it ceased. The hedgehog took a second to gather himself, then took another step forward.  
  
Flash!  
  
A bright jade light encompassed the area, blinding Sonic, followed by another round of tremors. This time, Sonic could not stay up, and only stayed off the ground after he jutted his right arm out to break his fall. Panting, he closed his eyes as he kept his hand planted on the rock solid floor, as if feeling the strength of the tremor, trying to sense its power. Eventually, the shaking again died down. But just as Sonic thought it safe to rise, the aftershock hit. The heaviest of rumbles nearly broke his arm. Soon, he could hold his own weight no longer. His arm gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground. His eyes still shut, his face wrinkled and his fists clenched as he tried to vain to move, to try and get up, but to no avail. He had taken quite a beating in the past three days without much rest. Usually, this had not been a problem, because someone had helped him out, helped carry the load. But now, he was exhausted. Sweat pumped from his body like running water. Eggman had already stripped him of most of his allies, and he did not know where Amy was right now. And the bounty hunter-he wasn't too far behind, and he had been in good enough health to taunt him in the cave. Plus, the government, the military, those guys from Carnival Island, and even, even Tails…it seemed that everyone was against him. Yep, this was basically him against the world, now that he thought of it. Everyone was against him now, and those who were not could not help him now. Obviously, he had to keep going-there was no arguing that. The true question was, could he stop the doctor again? Was he strong enough?  
  
But why? Even if he did defeat the doctor, even if he did save the world, it wouldn't matter. Everyone would simply think Sonic had gone on another murdering spree and killed Ivo Eggman, candidate for mayor of Capital City, and when they found Amy's dead body, they would accuse him of that as well. There was nothing left. Nothing left at all. No reason to go on. Every turn was simply more trouble. He would have to go into hiding. There was no point in that, either. He could do nothing.  
  
The heavy weight of failure suddenly slammed down on his back all at once. It was over. All over. But was this truly the way it was to end? He was Sonic the Hedgehog, the miracle worker, the savior. Could this possibly be the way he was to be defeated? But could he think of any reason at all to avoid defeat?  
  
Amy.  
  
A faint image of the pink hedgehog began to run in Sonic's mind. What was going on?  
  
A flashback of the first time they had truly gone together somewhere. Back on Mobius. Home, home…  
  
"Sonic, where are you going now?"  
  
He looked over his shoulder at Amy, racing hot on his heels.  
  
"To Never Lake," he called back.  
  
"Why Never Lake?"  
  
Sonic slowed down a little so he could explain. "Ever heard of the Little Planet?"  
  
"Isn't that the tiny world that orbits around Mobius?" Amy asked. "The one with the special stones that alter time and change everything around them? I heard that the planet's full of places that are completely ignored by the passage of time!"  
  
"Yeah. On the last month of every year, the Little Planet appears over Never Lake. It's that time now, and I'm going to check it out. I bet space travel will be exciting!"  
  
"With all those Time Stones, I bet you'll try to outrun time itself!" Amy sighed.  
  
Sonic didn't reply. He just smiled, eyes gleaming.  
  
But what evil had happened next? The real reason they knew each other so well?  
  
When they arrived at Never Lake, the Little Planet was there as expected. But something was wrong. Where there should have been tall trees and bright flowers, there was nothing but dry sand and jagged rocks. The Little Planet was tethered to a rock with a huge chain, and its surface was covered with twisted, gleaming metal.  
  
"What happened?" Amy wondered.  
  
Before Sonic could reply, something whooshed over them. Amy shrieked as she was snatched up, and she and her captor vanished in a blue streak of light!  
  
"What the -- AMY!"  
  
It didn't take long for Sonic to realize what had happened. "Eggman!" he cried as he watched a robotic version of…himself?…fly away from him towards a massive battleship.  
  
Metal…  
  
Sonic stood on a rock and thought. Eggman had control of the Little Planet. He had Amy, and soon he would have the Time Stones...  
  
His situation looked grim then, but nothing compared to now, or anything before that. Like with Chaos…  
  
"Sonic!" Amy shouted as she chased Sonic down the sidewalk by the casino. A small, cyan canary followed not too far behind.  
  
"Uh…Amy…" Sonic stammered, walking backwards.  
  
"What's wrong with you anyway?" she demanded, as if he had committed some cardinal sin. "Listen," she continued, "this birdie seems to be in trouble. So you have to be his bodyguard for a while." "WHAT?!?" replied Sonic incredulously. "You must be joking!" "If you don't," teased Amy, batting an eyebrow, "we're just gonna tag along anyway." "Sure," Sonic groaned. "Whatever. Just follow me," he told her, waving a hand towards his face.  
  
A split second later, he was gone, racing back to Station Square. From behind, Amy, persistent as ever, followed as fast as she could. "No fair!" she shouted from behind. "You too fast!" "Man, that girl is such a pain," Sonic mumbled to himself.  
  
A pain. That was what he thought of her.  
  
And with Shadow…  
  
A loud clanging sound!  
  
Something dropped down from the ceiling. Sonic whirled around, breaking his usual trend of pacing around his cell.  
  
"Amy?" he cried, bewildered.  
  
"Shh!" she hissed, putting a single finer to her pursed lips. "Keep your voice down!" Then, she proceeded to prance around the room in a triumphant way, giggling, "Have no fear, Amy Rose is here!"  
  
God, she was annoying.  
  
"How did you get in here?" He had to hear this. "Well, if you have to know…I got a ride from Tails," she admitted.  
  
Figures.  
  
Her face perked up again. "Are you sure you don't need my help?" she said in a sing-song voice, waving a card that looked like some kind of membership. "It looks like you could use it." "The reason I'm in here," he explained, running in place and throwing jabs into the air, "is because of that fake hedgehog."  
  
"Oh you mean that black one?"  
  
"Yeah, when did you see him? Get me outta here!" "If I do, will you marry me?" "NO WAY."  
  
"I thought I had you this time," she sighed as she swiped the card. The cell door flew up almost as fast as Sonic ran out of it. "I saw that black hedgehog outside with Dr. Eggman." "So, Eggman's in on all of this too, eh?" But Amy had already devoted her attention to the wall in Sonic's old cell. It was covered in complicated math problems and scientific theories.  
  
"What're all these markings? Did you do all these, Sonic?" No answer.  
  
"Sonic?" She turned to face the steel wall behind her.  
  
"Wait for me, Sonic! He's such a brat sometimes," she added to herself.  
  
Now that Sonic thought of it, he and Amy had been through a lot together. And, in some ways, he owed a lot to her. Of course, he had more than repaid the favor, but still…  
  
And all that time, all the times Amy had been chasing him…all the time, it had not been for naught. It was some crazy crush. But she was much more mature now, not some bubbly little girl, but almost a grown woman. But her feelings for him had obviously not changed. That was evident from earlier.  
  
And, as much as he hated to admit it… He still couldn't believe he was saying this, even to himself… He returned the sentiment.  
  
And that, his optimism told himself, was the reason to avoid defeat.  
  
Slowly but surely, his brain told his arms to push. Push himself up, get up you lazy fool! Even slower was his general movement upward. But soon, he was, in fact, up. His legs barely holding him up, he shook his head and tried to regain his vision. Did he have the heart? Not necessarily, but he did have imagination. Here's the deal, he told himself. Amy's being tortured by Eggman and every villain imaginable inside that base. No one likes you, but if you save her, you'll get eternal happiness. From what, you aren't sure yet, but you will.  
  
Clouds gathered in the sky, creating a darker blanket on top of an already dark sky.  
  
Please start a thunderstorm, Sonic begged, get the mood going!  
  
BOOM! Not from an earthquake this time. Yes! Thunder.  
  
Flash! Lightning! Oh yeah, this was awesome!  
  
Now, just imagine that Knuckles is chasing you with the killer instinct, and you can't kill him, just run.  
  
GO!  
  
No movement.  
  
Oh come on, you stupid feet, run! This time, they did. But slowly. He planted one foot on the road in front of him, the road he had started at for oh so long and wondered what it had been made of.  
  
No clang.  
  
Asphalt. Good, easier to run on, not as loud.  
  
Now, cue in some dramatic music. Sort through your mental music library…Linkin Park, how about? "Faint," that was a good one. Play. Get ready to run, wait for the violin to run its course.  
  
"YEEEAARRRGH!" Sonic spun his head around. A green…  
  
"KNUCKLES?" "DIE!!!"  
  
Okay, now at least he didn't have to imagine Knuckles anymore.  
  
Hup, the violin's done! Run! 


	15. Chapter 35 Chaotix Race

Folks, a quick word to my fans-I'm getting serious about this story, and that means I need artists. Preferrably those who can draw anime pretty damn good. If you're interested in illustrating this story, e-mail or IM me, and I'll give you character descriptions. I'll be holding something of an illustrator "tryout," so just because I'm desperate doesn't mean I'll take you. Just give me an example of your work or something.  
  
Chapter 35  
  
Chaotix Race  
  
She looked down at the body, robotic eyes zeroing in on it. Then, she figured, why not tap into this robot's abilities? She decided to check his vital signs…  
  
"Nothing," she beeped. God, for every cool thing this scrap heap could do, it always did something really annoying, like that whole beeping thing.  
  
The deed was done.  
  
Of course, any idiot could have guessed that, she just wanted to double check. Dried blood stained his already crimson jacket.   
  
The massacre wasn't too pretty, either. One of the robots held the poor doctor up as each robot took their turn pumping bullets into him. Those who had no gun found some other, "creative" means of mortally wounding him.   
  
Omega had come last. His evil red eyes looked even more wicked as he launched every rocket and bullet he had towards the doctor. He was probably already dead anyway, but it must have felt good anyway, she thought.  
  
She casually moved one robotic arm to the other and wiped off an imaginary spot. Blinked twice, then turned to another robot of considerably less size.  
  
"Get that disgusting thing out of there," she whirred.  
  
"I know," the other robot answered. "Not nice to have a dead body around our new base of operations."  
  
"Did he have to be dead?" she laughed. "He was sick before that, it's just easier to get rid of him when he isn't moving."  
  
Why was Knuckles green again?  
  
Sonic still wasn't sure of the answer, but he didn't exactly look safe. Then again, he was never safe. But he looked particularly not safe now.  
  
"What happened, Knux, you fall in a vat of gelatin or something?" he called back to his rival, who was still flying higher above.  
  
"You will die!" he retorted angrily.  
  
"I knew you had a one track mind Red, but this is ridiculous."  
  
"DIE!"  
  
"Okay, I understand you're pissed off, but can't you make it a little more fun and at least respond in a sentence that doesn't include the word "die" or any of its other forms?"  
  
"DIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!"  
  
"There's no talking to him when he's like this," Sonic grumbled. So instead, he decided to actually pay attention to where he was going, which was right towards that base…city…thing.  
  
For such a protected place, it should have sent out a robot team by now. With all that screaming and banging and rumbling, not to mention a flying green echidna, Sonic expected something on Eggman's security system would have picked him up. It almost wasn't fun to break into this place anymore.  
  
He was approaching an intersection of numerous roads. He still wasn't sure what purpose they served, but it made it easier to run, rather than trampling along the rock canyon floor.  
  
Not that Knuckles had anything to worry about.  
  
"WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!!!!!"  
  
"It would help if you could actually catch up to me," yelled Sonic without actually looking at him. Even when he's green and insane, he was a complete-  
  
Oh God.  
  
He finally realized why he was green. He only remembered one other time Knuckles was green.  
  
That was when he was in Chaotix form.  
  
But how? Without the Master Emerald..???  
  
"Damn!" he cried, and he accelerated to the intersection. The Master Emerald didn't have unlimited energy like the Chaos Emeralds did, but they had more than Sonic did right now.  
  
Which meant, if this kept up, Sonic would be down and out way before Knuckles broke a sweat.  
  
He needed to get inside that base!  
  
Of course, Sonic wasn't sure how getting inside would help him in this situation, but it might buy him a few seconds. Vital seconds he needed to talk to RaGiff. He was too close to death to try communicating with him now. He was now at the intersection, and, unsure of where to go and without much time to do it, he simply went to the nearest connection to the other side. Lightning flashed thousands of miles away, but it seemed like a few feet. Faster, faster, that stupid echidna is gaining!  
  
"DIE!!!"  
  
"Oh, shut up!" Sonic shouted, trying to sound half as confident as he was in this situation. There had to be something he had to do. Anything to buy him a few seconds.  
  
Wait, there might be a shot. A long shot, a risky shot, but it'd have to do.  
  
"RAGIFF!" he screamed into the communicator after nearly punching out the green button. No answer for a few seconds. Just muffled sounds with piano in the background. "RAGIFF!" Something now. A…sniff?  
  
"…what…" whispered the voice.  
  
"What does the red button do?"  
  
"Shut up, man, this ain't the time for-"  
  
"LISTEN UP!" Sonic screamed at the top of his lungs. "KNUCKLES IS GOING TO KICK MY ASS IN A SECOND AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL THAT BUTTON DOES! QUIT WHINING AND SPILL IT!"  
  
"It's a stun gun," he groaned. "I don't believe in mindless killin' so it stuns people. Listen, man, this whole thing is over-"  
  
"Thanks, talk to ya later!" "Wait, Son-"  
  
Beep. The link was broken.  
  
Oh yes.  
  
Sonic ripped off the communicator and jammed the red button. The microphone steadily glowed a bright yellow. "Faster," he hissed, "faster!"  
  
He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to Knuckles. The echidna looked bewildered, but only for a second. He then swooped in, fists bared and teeth gritted, hell-bent on drilling Sonic twenty miles below ground.  
  
"DIE!"  
  
Shot!  
  
A single, circular pulse of yellow energy slowly made its way to Knuckles. The echidna saw it, but figured he could pass through the center of the increasingly large hole. Sonic feared the same thing. If Knuckles got too close…Sonic wasn't sure how much longer he could outrun him.  
  
They were both wrong. Dead wrong.  
  
Knuckles stopped dead halfway through the ring of gold. His eyes grew to the size of basketballs as he struggled to break free of his electric bonds, but to no avail. Sonic figured, if RaGiff was the genius he had proved himself to be, it would hold a normal person for a good few minutes.  
  
Which meant, with Knuckles, he had less than one minute to get out of there.  
  
He sped down the path he had been running on and continued until the dozen roads from before combined to form one. The homestretch. One hard corner, then just a straight runaway to wherever the entrance was.  
  
Shatter!  
  
From behind him.  
  
Sonic turned his head as he ran. Sparks of electricity flew from Knuckles, who now hovered freely in the air. The green echidna slowly turned his head to Sonic and mouthed the word "Die."  
  
In a flash, he was gone. In another flash, Knuckles was just above him.  
  
"Die," he said quickly.  
  
Sonic was even quicker to run. But he knew this was hopeless. Could he really keep this up for much longer?  
  
Crackle!  
  
Gasping from behind again! Sonic whirled around. Knuckles began to grip his chest. The green around him grew darker, then began to disappear. His emerald body began to fade into pure white.  
  
"What…what??" he panted. "Why? Not now!"  
  
"Haha!" Sonic laughed. "It's about time!"  
  
The echidna slowly descended against his own will. Down, down, until foot touched ground again. As soon as he had returned to Earth, he collapsed onto the ground, breathless. Soon, the white began to disappear as well, revealing an oddly dark crimson color on his skin. He closed his eyes, as if trying to regain strength. His skin finally returned to its original red. The moment the reverse transformation seemed complete, Knuckles fainted and fell onto his chest. Sonic slowly walked over to Knuckles and stood over him.  
  
"Can't just suck up energy like that, my man," he explained to the lifeless body. "Otherwise, things like this happen. Love to help ya, but I've got a date with an old friend of mine, and I'd hate to be late."  
  
With that, Sonic raced down the road to the closest available metal doorway.  
  
From inside, alarms blared incessantly. She went to one of the many screens and looked at the camera's view. On one of the roads lay a red echidna all too familiar to her. Running away from him at a ridiculous speed was what appeared to be a blue hedgehog.  
  
"Sonic the Hedgehog…"   
  
"Mistress…" bleeped a fellow robot host. "What should we do of the intruders?"  
  
If she could, she would smile.  
  
"Let them in," she whispered. "I'm going to have a little fun before we complete our final step. How much time?" "About two minutes…"  
  
"Curse this rule…Fine, it looks as if we'll all have to find new saps. No matter. At least there's a little variety." 


	16. Chapter 36 Hell and Back Again

Still looking for anime artists for the story. E-mail me at SUPASONEC@aol.com with your work. I'll take anyone's examples!  
  
Chapter 36  
  
Hell and Back Again  
  
So this is what death felt like…  
  
Weight pushed down on Blade as if he were being crushed on all sides. Was he underwater or something? Open your eyes, man. Look and see where you are. See what Heaven was truly made of. Or was he in Hell? Open your eyes…  
  
The left eye cracked open just a bit. It zipped up, down, left, right, and finally returned to its original position. It was pure blackness. He must be in hell. This is what he got for trying to get his family and friends back? Ugh…Get the other one open. Check things out. Open!  
  
There we go.  
  
Still black.  
  
Wait…a hint of blue? Move you head.  
  
"Ow," he hissed as he tried to turn his head. His neck was incredibly stiff. He moved it around a little more. What was that, in the upper right corner of his eye? A flash of…red?  
  
"Umf…"  
  
Now for the arms. Wiggle, also stiff…  
  
Something was weighing them down. Was it the red thing?  
  
Legs. Gotta slip out of this little space  
  
Push! Push!  
  
"Omf!"  
  
His head rose higher. He couldn't see the red anymore, but there was a giant patch of purple. It was…furry. Hm…  
  
"Big…?"  
  
No answer.  
  
How do you get him up?  
  
Punch.  
  
"Oww!"  
  
"Big!" Blade hissed. "Is that you?"  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"Big!"  
  
"Uh…where am I?" responded the voice dully.  
  
Yep, definitely him.  
  
"Why are you in hell?"  
  
"Hell?"  
  
"That's right, hell. We're dead, and it's not exactly bright and beautiful around here, so I'm assuming we're in hell. So what'd you do?"  
  
"I don't think we're in hell, Mister…uh…"  
  
"I'm Blade, you moron. Blade. I only told you a couple hundred times. And why do you think we're in heaven and not hell?"  
  
"We're in heaven?" whispered another voice.  
  
Huh?  
  
"Who's this?"  
  
"It's Amy!"  
  
"Amy? Now what did you do?"  
  
"We're not in heaven!" she insisted.  
  
"Of course we aren't," a third voice grumbled, "you're still here."  
  
"Who was that?" she murmured.  
  
"It's the big, bad, scary devil," Mighty's voice responded from somewhere in the area.  
  
"Well you're just asking for an ass-kicking now."  
  
"Will you two shut up?" Blade cried. "Where's the fox?"  
  
"I don't think he's awake yet, Mister…uh…"  
  
"Blade!"  
  
"Yeah…Mr. Blade. I don't think he's awake yet."  
  
"It's a she, you idiot," joked Mighty.  
  
"Y'know, for a time like this, you're still a real-" Blade began.  
  
"Wait!" shouted Amy. "I don't think we're in heaven!"  
  
"I told you," said Blade, "we're-"  
  
"Not in hell, either," she retorted. "I don't think we're dead."  
  
"What? How could we have survived that…thing?"  
  
"Look! We're still in the car!"  
  
"I'd love to look, but Mr. Big, Fat, and Stupid is still flattening me."  
  
"Oh!" shouted Big. "Mr. Big Fat and Stupid, could you please get off of Mr.….er…"  
  
"Shut up and get off me, Big."  
  
"Okay, sorry."  
  
"You're not welcome, but I'll live with it for now."  
  
A huge mass slowly lifted off of Blade. He could lift his arms again. He sat up and realized he was still in…  
  
"The captain's seat."  
  
"What about it?" asked Mighty.  
  
"Uh…never mind. It's just that…Amy was right, we're still in the car."  
  
"We're alive!" she cheered.  
  
"Maybe they brought the car down to Hell with us, maybe it's just a-"  
  
"Blade, shut up!" she groaned. "We're not dead! Do you want to be in hell or something?"  
  
"In a way…"  
  
"Don't answer that. But how…how did we live?"  
  
"I think the answer's back here," explained Mighty.  
  
"Huh?" the awake members said simultaneously.  
  
"Ugh…what happened…?" Tails groaned.  
  
"Sleeping Beauty arises. Welcome back to life," Mighty chuckled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Check this out. You'll never believe this."  
  
The four joined Mighty looking over the backseat into the trunk.  
  
Metal Sonic's head, eyes bright red and glowing, was sparking as a black and blue shield slowly grew smaller and smaller as it swirled around him.  
  
"Metal…" Tails whispered.  
  
RaGiff couldn't remember the last time he had cried so much. If he had to take a guess, it was when he found out, as a child, that Milli Vanilli were frauds.  
  
"Aw…Leo…" More sobbing.   
  
Beeping came from the computer in front of him. Maybe it was the hedgehog again. Maybe he'd actually listen to him this time.  
  
"What?" he grumbled.  
  
"Are you Mr. RaGiff Griffin?" asked a very professional sounding voice.  
  
"Who're you?" RaGiff responded.  
  
"My name is Doctor Ivo Eggman."  
  
Eggman!  
  
"What…what did you do to my friends?"  
  
"I don't believe I know what you're talking about-"  
  
"Like hell ya don't. What did you do to Le…Blade?"  
  
"I don't know anyone named 'Blade.' However, I do have some news that should interest you Mr. Griffin…"  
  
"I want you, Eggman. Me and you, one on one, let's settle this, a battle of wits-"  
  
"Oh, will you quit being so serious RaGiff?" answered a much more familiar voice.  
  
What???  
  
RaGiff pounded the button to bring up a visual. A brown haired man stared back, waving and smiling.  
  
"C'mon, I have the worst impersonations on earth and you still fell for it."  
  
"Wha…wha…wha…"  
  
"Let's just say we've been to hell and back," Blade explained. "Gotta run. Call ya later." Cut off.  
  
How did he…  
  
"Awnaw!" he cried joyfully.  
  
Another buzz. He flicked it on.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Alright, Mr. Drama King," Sonic's voice responded. "What was so important you had to get it in earlier when I was about to die?"  
  
Oh yeah…  
  
"Well…uh…"  
  
"Spill it, man!"  
  
"Er…just…wanted to say…uh…everything's cool. Good luck with Eggman."  
  
Dead silence on the other end.  
  
"Just a quick question Ragweed.""RaGiff."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"What's the question?"  
  
"Are you goin' nuts up there in that computer booth of yours?" "Nope, that happened a while ago. I'm completely insane now."  
  
"Good, just double checking."  
  
Cut-off.  
  
God, RaGiff could be a real pest sometimes, Sonic thought.  
  
Now to get through this door. There was a large steel door with red liquid flowing through the center tube. Maybe if he broke it…  
  
He threw a punch.  
  
"OW!" Glass really does hurt. Now what exactly was this stuff? He dipped his foot into it, expecting a severe burn…  
  
Hey, nothing! He lifted his foot out. No apparent damage…What was this? Tails would know… Oh yeah-if he ever found that little fox, he'd tear him to shreds, or drown him in the red liquid. Anyway, back to business.  
  
Now how to open the door? RaGiff would know, right?  
  
Buzz.  
  
No one.  
  
Buzz.  
  
Nothing. Buzz.  
  
Where the hell was that guy?  
  
Sanders handled the puck behind his own net. He passed to Clark off the boards, as he cut across center ice…  
  
"RAGIFF!"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Will you quit paying attention to the damn hockey game?"  
  
"How'd you know it was a hockey game?'  
  
"I can hear you cheering about it through the link."  
  
"'k, 'k, whaddaya want?"  
  
"A way to get into the base."  
  
"That thing? And you're gonna try to get into it single-handedly? That's almost funny."  
  
"Then how am I gonna get in?"  
  
RaGiff smiled.  
  
"I have a friend of mine who could be able to help you." 


	17. Chapter 37 Strike

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been writing and rewriting this chapter for a while trying to make it right, and my internet connection has been incredibly slow the past few days. Then, when I finally got a chance to, fanfiction.net decided to play God with me and shut down the login area for a while...so thanks for your patience. It'll be worth it, trust me. :-)  
  
A couple things. First, I have gotten a lot of complaints about unclear transitions between situations (I.E. when I change from one character to another). Unfortunately, the fanfiction upload doesn't get the document exactly when I upload my documents. If it had, you'd see an extra space between sections. But to make it easier, I've made lines to indicate where there's a transition.  
  
And second...I'm still waiting for examples for anime artists for this story. I know this is the third time I've asked, but I am officially desperate. E-mail me at SUPASONEC@aol.com with an example of your artwork, preferrably from the Sonic universe. Any of the characters would be fine, even ones I haven't mentioned in my story. Thanks in advance.  
  
Chapter 37  
  
Strike  
  
"Nice thinking, short stuff," Blade complimented Tails, turning his head around to face the fox. "Keeping that old thing was really worth it."  
  
"Heh heh heh," chuckled Tails, a bit embarrassed, but not too much.  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah," Amy replied, not convinced it was a good idea to keep dragging Metal Sonic along.   
  
Blade batted an eye. "You got a problem, missy?"  
  
It's just…can we still keep that thing around? I mean, it's a lot to carry, and for the most part, all it's caused in the past few years is trouble. I mean, it completely deformed itself just to kill Sonic…"  
  
Blade thought about this for a second.  
  
"She has a bit of a point…"  
  
"Vector and the guys were telling me about that," Mighty commented. "Like it just went berserk and it took ten people and two robots to take it down or something?"  
  
"Two robots?"  
  
"Yeah, the Omega robot and…hm...they mentioned someone named Shadow…"  
  
"I know Shadow!" exclaimed Tails. Amy nodded in agreement. Big also moved his head up and down.  
  
"But…he was a robot?"  
  
"That's what they said…Maybe this Eggman guy knows something about that, too."  
  
"He should," agreed Big. "The doctor's real smart about this kind of thing."  
  
Blade was getting tired of this.  
  
"Great, we'll find out when we get there, but we won't get very far if we don't move now. That little outburst made it pretty hard to maneuver around here."  
  
"But wait…" Amy began. "If the car's still charging…"  
  
"That's right, little lady. We're walking. You could use the exercise."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"God Vector, you need to start paying attention to those ads for exercise equipment," Charmy gasped as he slowly lowered his crocodile friend down to the rocky path below.  
  
"I didn't ask you to carry me," he growled back.  
  
"So you'd rather be squashed dead?"  
  
"Yeah, instead of hearing you yap about how you saved my behind again."  
  
"Whatever…We still have to get up that mountain, and with all the rocky terrain, it'll take a while."  
  
"It's really dark out," Vector commented, pointing to the pitch dark sky. "Maybe we should rest for the night."  
  
"Rest is for the weak," muttered a voice behind them.   
  
Vector whirled around and caught his breath as his snout came within an inch of a long, sharp, glowing red sword.  
  
"Wha wha…whaddaya want?" stammered the crocodile.  
  
"For a great detective, you don't have good senses. You've gotta be able to hear, smell, feel someone coming, or something like this will happen."  
  
Blade lunged his body forward, but took care to keep his sword in the same place. Vector, though, thought the sword was coming and jumped back.  
  
"Heh heh heh…" chuckled the bounty hunter.  
  
"Quit bugging us!" Charmy shouted. He got his stinger ready.  
  
"Hold up," called Mighty, walking out of a hiding place behind a rock. Charmy immediately changed his focus.  
  
"Mighty! You're alive!"  
  
"Here the guy out," he told them. "He's got some big plans, and you need his help more than he needs yours."  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Espio had sat, Indian style, in the cave for the past hour, wondering. How had Knuckles seen him, known he was there? Was it a wild guess, or that sixth sense you get when your adrenaline flows faster than a waterfall? All those years of ninja training, all that time practicing the art of not being seen, had apparently gone for naught.  
  
Well, okay, it was only two years, but that was still a while for him.  
  
Now, where did this leave him? Knuckles was off, but he had left Espio with the stern command to not follow him. He hadn't heard from Vector, Mighty, or Charmy for quite some time. He had nothing to do. So he may as well meditate until something happened. He closed his eyes and simply let his thoughts flow. He almost felt like he was levitating as well.  
  
From the feel of the ground, it seemed as if the rockslide had ceased. Something had shook the mountain a while ago, but it was faint and hard to truly sense the direction it was coming in.  
  
A footstep, from far back!   
  
Someone was coming! It could be Mighty or one of the others. Or it could be one of Sonic's pals.  
  
Espio decided to stay back and find out who first. He quickly jumped into the air and performed a swift back flip, and just like that, he was invisible again. Just to be safe, though, he jumped behind one of the nearby rocks and ducked.  
  
A faint red glow emitted from deep in the other side of the cave. It became brighter and brighter until Espio could make out the shape. Like a crescent moon, but slightly more stretched out. Soon, he could also make out a human face behind it.  
  
The bounty hunter! Blade-was that his name?  
  
Espio stared on, because he heard the clattering of more footsteps behind the man with the sword. As he approached, the sword's light grew dimmer and dimmer until it completely left the blade, returning its color to a shiny silver. Compared to most swords Espio had seen, this was pretty big. It looked almost as big as the samurai swords of old.  
  
From behind, the others finally showed their faces. The one looked like the pink hedgehog that was always chasing Sonic-Amy, that was it-and the fox boy, whom Espio could not recall the name. The large purple cat lumbered behind those two, and bringing up the rear were three very familiar faces.  
  
"Mighty!" Espio accidentally called out. Instantly, he clasped his hands to his lips, realizing his horrible mistake. Just as quickly, the bounty hunter shot his gaze in Espio's direction. Even if he had given away his position, Espio could have moved, but he didn't. He was frozen to the spot in fear. The warrior must be on Sonic's side, and he and his posse had already caught Vector, Charmy, and Mighty. What crazed plot did he have in store?  
  
A return to reality let Espio see the man coming closer, and closer, until Espio could feel his breath. He had waited too long. If he moved now, the breeze of his departure would clue Blade in. He just had to fall back and hope he couldn't tell where he was.  
  
Blade stared directly into Espio's eyes, although he couldn't actually see them. Or could he? Did he have some supernatural ability to see the invisible? He had proved to be much more powerful than the entire Chaotix gang already, picking up on all their traps and taking all of them out at once-not with his sword, but with his mind. Maybe he was some kind of psychic! Was that it?  
  
Espio didn't think much longer because something cold, large, and powerful gripped him by the neck. It was the bounty hunter's hand. Although he hadn't noticed it before, Blade was of a fairly large size, and his hand was massive. After a few seconds, Espio felt his invisible guard give way. The bounty hunter refocused his eyes, as if he finally realized where Espio was, a dead giveaway for the chameleon that he was visible again. A second later, Blade relinquished his grasp, allowing Espio's gasping body to fall to the ground.  
  
"It would've been easier just to turn yourself in," the bounty hunter suggested.  
  
Espio slowly rose to his feet. He got his hands in a karate chop pose, as if he was going to begin battling at any moment.  
  
"Lay off, will ya?" Blade asked. "Even if I wanted to fight, I'd kick your ass just like before. But now that I think about it, you could come in handy. And your friends are here on their own will, not because I tore them away from their family for the hell of it."  
  
Espio shook his head in disbelief and finally turned to Mighty. "You don't believe this crap, do you? You're actually going along with this guy?"  
  
Mighty let air out of his mouth, closed his eyes, and nodded. Vector simply shrugged his shoulders. Charmy made no motion.  
  
"Ugh…I don't believe this," groaned the purple chameleon. He turned away with his arms crossed for a second and thought.  
  
"So what's the choice, lizard boy? You've got five seconds before I make a decision for you. Should I cut your head off for a trophy or let you join our little posse?"  
  
The chameleon turned his head back around just enough for the group to see the corner of his right eye. His midnight red pupil locked in on Mighty and telegraphed a silent message that no one else would probably understand, even if they tried. The armadillo nodded in reply.  
  
"My friend agrees," Mighty told Blade.  
  
"He's got a mouth, let him talk," the bounty hunter said, never taking his eyes off Espio.  
  
The chameleon closed his eyelids and nodded.  
  
Blade looked up at the cavern ceiling and sighed. "Well…guess that'll work for now." He jammed his sword into the sheath strapped to his back, then pulled out a small tissue out of his jean pocket and wiped the sweat off his forehead. After a quick dabbing of his face, he put it back and got back on task.  
  
"Okay everyone, for those who don't know him, I'd like you to meet our good friend and techie, RaGiff." He pulled out a radio and turned up the volume. "Say hi, RaGiff."  
  
"Hiya!" he cried in an obnoxiously high pitched, happy voice.  
  
"Alright, 'Giff, what's the news?"  
  
"Mesh STL changed their name to Modern Day Zero and delayed their new album."  
  
"Damn!" cried Vector. "It's not even the delay! What kind of name is Modern Day Zero?"  
  
"'GIFF!" Blade shouted.  
  
"Fine, here's the deal folks. We're going to assault Eggman's big 'ol fortress down there. Now, with Knuckles and Sonic blowing our cover, it's going to be a bit trick-"  
  
"Hold up," Amy stopped him. "What about Sonic?"  
  
"And Knuckles???" Tails cried.  
  
"You knew that already, foxy," RaGiff explained. "Didn't I already tell you that?"  
  
"Uh…yeah, guess you…did…"  
  
"Thought so. Now, because they went off in that little fight of there's, it's going to be harder to get anything past this base. But there's some other interesting news I'd like to give you guys."  
  
"Spill it, 'Giff," Vector accepted.  
  
"No one calls me that but Leo…er, I mean, Blade."  
  
"Leo??" Mighty teased in a sing-song voice.  
  
"Shaddup," growled Blade.  
  
"Anyway…there's no vital signs coming from inside the base."  
  
"What?" asked Charmy.  
  
"Nothing. Not a single living soul."  
  
"Shows ya old Eggman finally lost every ounce of his dignity," Amy joked.  
  
"No, seriously, nothing. Either he's not there, or he bit the dust."  
  
"Well, we're gonna have to find out then, won't we?" Blade muttered.  
  
"Yeah, Bladeage, we will. Without our two little friends Sonic and Knuckles, this might be harder, but we can pull it off. We're going to break off into three teams."  
  
"Teams?" wondered Big.  
  
"Okay, listen up ladies and gents."  
  
"I'm the only lady, though," Amy corrected.  
  
"I was talking to fox boy. Just joshin' man, just joshin'" he backed off when he heard Tails' growling.  
  
"Anyway, here's the teams. Team Alpha consists of Espio, Amy, and Vector. You're gonna cut down the middle and attract the attention of most of the enemies. That leaves Team Beta-Mighty, Blade, and Big-to smack through most of the defense force. Just mow 'em down out there. Which leaves us," he continued, "with Team Charlie, with Tails and Charmy. You offer some air support and draw some more attention from those guns. Immobilize them if you can, make it easier for ground crew. Got it?"  
  
"Why do I have to be in Team Charlie?" Tails complained.  
  
"Fine, you whiny little fox man, we'll call you Team Delta. Happy now?"  
  
Tails thought for a moment. "I think I am."  
  
"God, these people…Anyway, you guys ready? Remember, Alpha down the middle, Beta on the left flank, and Charlie…er, I mean, Delta…will attack from the air on the right flank. Got it?"  
  
"Alright, let's go," Blade agreed for the group. The group began to assemble outside of the cave. Mighty chuckled the whole way out.  
  
"What's so freakin' funny, armadillo man?"  
  
"Leo…heh heh heh…"  
  
"Hardy har har, listen, you're lucky you're not in two pieces by now."  
  
"Teams assemble!" cried RaGiff. "Team Alpha…you know how to make a flashy entrance, don't ya?"  
  
Espio cracked a smile for the first time in a while. He turned to the others in his team and winked.  
  
Amy didn't know exactly what she had gotten herself into, but she remembered that look from somewhere else…  
  
The one she was trying to save.  
  
But she was no longer afraid.  
  
She smiled back. She could feel Vector's wide grin behind her.  
  
"Timing…timing…" RaGiff said…  
  
"Hold on," Blade interrupted.  
  
"What?!?" RaGiff shouted.  
  
"Tails, stay here."  
  
"Huh?" the fox wondered.  
  
"Yeah Blade, what're you smokin'?" demanded RaGiff  
  
Blade turned to Tails. "Stay here and fix up Metal."  
  
"Metal what?" asked RaGiff.  
  
"Long story, but it's worth it, 'Giff."  
  
The genius on the other end sighed.  
  
"Fine, but only cuz it's you, Bladeage. But what about Team Delta?"  
  
Blade quickly thought. "Vector."  
  
"Huh? But I can't fly..."  
  
"But Charmy obviously has a lot of experience flying with you, doesn't he?"  
  
"It'd be better if Mighty went," suggested Espio. "He's lighter and could probably do more with Charmy."  
  
"Got it," answered the armadillo.  
  
"Well, that's all fine and dandy then," RaGiff said, obviously not happy with this latest development. "Foxy, this better work."  
  
"Ship him out when you're done," Blade whispered to Tails. "Hope you're as smart as you say."  
  
Tails nodded, faced with the daunting task of repairing one of Eggman's older robots-and one of their worst enemies-for their own use. In less time than he had ever fixed anything else.  
  
"Anytime now?" RaGiff groaned.  
  
"One last thing, 'Giff."  
  
"What Blade? God, are you just trying to get out of the fight?"  
  
"No, just wanted to know why I'M doing this."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Why am I doing this? What purpose do I have to do this?"  
  
A pause for a second. Finally, RaGiff spoke.  
  
"Because I told you to."  
  
"Funny, I thought I told you what to do."  
  
"This is my plan, so I tell you what to do."  
  
"But I have the sword."  
  
"But you can't hit me from there."  
  
"Will you two shut up?" Amy shouted. "You two are like little kids fighting..."  
  
"All right. 'k guys, let's roll." Blade got in position again.  
  
"On the count of three..." called RaGiff through the small green radio.   
  
"Three!" shouted Blade, laughing.  
  
Espio and the others leapt off the side of the mountain and began to curl into small cannonballs. The others followed. The rush of air prevented Blade from hearing the long line of curses blaring through the radio.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
And, flying above a mess of cooled lava, boulders, and trees, levitating between mountains, was a small military fighter holding a very bored bat.  
  
"God, where is everyone?" Rouge asked, throwing her hands in the air.  
  
Suddenly, something started to zoom from behind her. Something beeped on her control panel. She whirled around, then remembered she couldn't see through the back. Grumbling, she returned to the panel and looked at the small radar on it. The circular map's spinning green ray had picked something up. A whole bunch of little things. Probably a flock of birds.  
  
But wait...something big was lumbering right behind it. What? She needed to check this out.  
  
Rouge turned her craft around, allowing her to see behind her and observe the...  
  
"Fleet?"  
  
The military fleet! It had finally caught up.  
  
Her emergency link beeped like crazy. That's right, she broke the other one. He allowed them to buzz in, already knowing who it was.  
  
"Ms. Rouge, we have you cornered. Surrender now, or we shall open fire," demanded the voice of General Ramsey.  
  
Rouge smirked.  
  
"Just one word for you Travis."  
  
No response. Rouge continued anyway.  
  
"It's called Kamikaze!"  
  
She thrusted the ship forward into the crowd of fighters and mashed the self destruct button. (Why these ships had those things she still didn't know, but now she was happy they did) There would be a ten second delay before it exploded, so she counted to seven.  
  
1...2...3...  
  
"Rouge, what are you-"  
  
She cut him off by crushing the other radio.  
  
Now where was she? Oh crap, she lost count. Better go now. She punched the eject button.  
  
Then, horrified, she remembered.  
  
There was a three second delay for that.  
  
"Open, you stupid goddamn thing!" she screamed as she tried to pry the cockpit open. Exasperated and frantic, she broke the glass. Not big enough, though. Keep breaking!  
  
When will this stupid thing eject?!?!?!?!  
  
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KABOOM 


	18. Chapter 38 Sonic vs the World

Okay, for those of you who wanted so badly to send me anime art for the story (all three of you), you may have to wait. My e-mail account is currently not accepting e-mails with embedded or attached files. I will inform you when I will be accepting them again. And after that, if I get at least three examples I (probably) won't bug you guys about it again.  
  
Chapter 38  
  
Sonic vs. the World  
  
This might cause a problem.  
  
She watched the three groups of…animals, she guessed…swarm down the mountain to the base through one of the monitors in the dark red room. She could have handled the hedgehog by herself, even if she didn't have a host. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration-she could do nothing without one. But these guys…she had to deal with them.  
  
"Release guard robots," she announced to the rest of the main base through the P.A. system. "Arm the snipers and send in the commando bots. Kill all but the echidna, should he still be alive." She grinned. Her new robotic host could smile, for some reason. It was a nice, big robot. She liked that. "I have a score to settle with him."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Okay, in three seconds…two…one…  
  
He buzzed RaGiff on his headset.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You really expect me to trust that guy after he went way out of his way to try and kill me?"  
  
"First, he never tried to snuff ya, just catch you."  
  
"Oh, sorry. I couldn't tell the difference because he was holding that damn sword all the time."  
  
RaGiff pretended not to hear.  
  
"Second, I already explained everything. It's all a huge misunderstanding. He isn't a bad guy, he just wants to get his girl back."  
  
"Sure," responded Sonic, not convinced.  
  
RaGiff finally exploded.   
  
"Alright, you stupid little rodent, listen up!" he yelled. Sonic started at his sudden harshness and decided to pay attention."That poor guy has been to two different wars fighting some Dr. Robotnik guy on Mobius. He lost his friends, his family, almost everything to those wars. After the first one, though, he was so happy to be done fighting because he knew that, when he got home he'd be able to see his sweetheart, his one little shred of happiness!" RaGiff placed a lot of emphasis on the word "shred."  
  
"But guess what? The man upstairs decided to throw another curveball his way. That curveball was some loser who decided it'd be a helluva lot of fun to take someone away and make the people who cared for them pay for them. And it happened to Leo! They took Cassie from him, and before he could do anything about it, they made him go fighting again on Mobius, suffer more loss, more injury…more sorrow. And when he got back, he found the letter that told of her ransom. His family couldn't pay for it, so he decided to risk life and limb to get her back.  
  
"He became a bounty hunter. He wanted to find the criminal and pay him his just reward-the sharp end of his family's sword. But it's a big 'ol universe out there. He couldn't search every planet for the ugly little sap! So he did job after job, hoping to get enough money to pay off the ransom. And he has come so, so close to getting it, just one job away! YOUR job.  
  
"He called me for help to try and bend the law for one reason and one reason alone. So he could get the rest of the ransom, go home, and be happy. Think about it. If someone held that Amy girl hostage, you'd do anything to get her back, wouldn't you? Even if it meant running in blindly, without any facts to back up why you're doing it?"  
  
No more noise came from the headset. Sonic couldn't speak for a while, either. He was thinking of a couple things. He knew he would do anything to keep Amy safe now. But that wasn't the real case. He was thinking of a few things. Blade…or Leo, apparently…he had fought on Mobius, too? And didn't RaGiff know who Robotnik was?  
  
"Figured," spoke the voice again. "Even someone like you knows when to be serious."  
  
"Hold on RaGiff…You said something about him being on Mobius…And "Robotnik…"  
  
"So?"  
  
"Do you know the nickname they gave Robotnik amongst some of the soldiers?"  
  
"What? You're makin' no sense, hedgehog."  
  
"Do you know his nickname?"  
  
"No, why? What is it?"  
  
Sonic paused, partly because he didn't know whether or not to tell him, partly to provide dramatic tension.  
  
"He's known as the Eggman," he explained.  
  
"Wait, wait, wait…" held up RaGiff. "You mean that Egghead guy we're going after is the same guy we tried to kill on Mobius?"  
  
"Yeah, unless what you say falls through and he really is dead."  
  
"Oh yeah…right…"  
  
"And he fought on Mobius too?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Does he know the old military saying?"  
  
"Which one? Oh yeah, I remember. Something like "Blue and red make victories and violet?""  
  
"Yep. Guess who…"  
  
"My boy Leo was the red. Best warrior in the Mobius Army. But sorry, you was saying something?"  
  
"He was?"  
  
"Heck ya!"  
  
"Well then, this should interest you even more."  
  
After hearing the tone of his voice, RaGiff knew exactly what this interesting news was.  
  
"Oh my freakin' god…"  
  
But before Sonic could officially explain what this news was, a loud siren nearly deafened him.  
  
"God!" he shouted as he covered his ears.  
  
RaGiff grinned back in his Morphos lab.  
  
"Explanations will hafta wait. Right now, IT'S SHOW TIME!" he cheered.  
  
Sonic watched the hatches of all the buildings around him fly open and observed millions of robot soldiers flood out of them. He smiled a huge smile.  
  
"This should be fun," he chuckled, cracking his knuckles. He turned off the com link to concentrate, then spun his feet in place, put his arms back, and faced forward, getting ready to launch the Peel-Out move. He would wait until one of the robots noticed, then blast into the crowd and take them all out. Almost ready…  
  
BAM!  
  
"Whoa!"  
  
Sonic sped into the crowd before they noticed. Unfortunately, they had noticed. Eggman had put snipers along the buildings of his base area to take him out while the robots handled the incoming fighters, whom RaGiff had told him about. (Afterwards, he'd have a score to settle with Tails, but for now, it was about the fighting) So, essentially, Sonic's plan would not work. It was either jump into the melee or get shot without doing any good. In a way, he preferred getting into a wild fight, but he wanted to see where the others were first.  
  
It didn't take much longer to see them.  
  
Roaring down the mountain were the rest of the guys, divided into what appeared to be three groups. Sonic couldn't tell exactly who, but he figured everyone RaGiff had mentioned was there.  
  
That image was quickly clouded as Sonic entered the swarm of robots. He jumped high into the air and curled into a small, spinning ball of destruction and came down on all of the robots, slamming into as many as possible. Those he didn't hit initially he took off after in mid air, still in a ball, and shot a hole right through them. He must have pounded his way through six or seven robots before he lost his velocity and dropped to the ground. Sometimes, when he did this kind of move and landed, he would end up hitting his head or his back because he was unsure of exactly when he would land, but luckily, he planted feet first this time. That was good, because had he landed any other way, one of the robots would have shot him dead before he could react. But since he landed on his feet, he was able to jump away from the machine gun bullets that pounded the ground where he formally was.  
  
Panting, he landed on one of the few unpaved areas, one hand helping to plant his landing. He didn't have much time to rest, because another round of machine gun fire emitted from one of the orange security robot's guns. Sonic kept on running from the horde of machines until he was almost halfway to the mountain again. He turned and watched as more guns fired from the masses of robots and snipers from the buildings. The situation wasn't getting much better as he saw more metal soldiers pouring out of the various doors.  
  
Wait, that's it!  
  
He cut into the crowd again, then jumped out. He looked and felt like Superman, jumping high over the millions of robots. At the peak of the jump, he curled into a ball and pounded his way into the crowd. He blasted through numerous enemies, then finally hit the ground.  
  
But he didn't land on his feet this time. He landed on the pavement hands first.  
  
"ARGH!"  
  
Sonic was sure he had bruised his wrists or hands badly, maybe even broken. Still, he had to keep running, or he'd be another mark on the road.  
  
"Damn…" He flipped himself up purely by abdominal strength and began to run again. His wrists hurt like crazy, pain surging up and down his arms. But he could still do some nice acrobatics. He jumped high again to avoid being easily shot. Not to say he wasn't in danger here, but he was a bit safer until he landed.  
  
ZING!  
  
A bullet nipped his left foot.  
  
"Ep!" Sonic lost his aerial balance. Now what? He couldn't land on his hands. He needed to try another spin attack. He turned into a spinning drill, hit the pavement, and carved a long streak in the ground. Finally, he flipped onto his feet and ran to one of the open doors, running away from the charging robots and laser guns from the sentry towers surrounding the massive stronghold of steel.  
  
At last, he reached the door. All the robots turned their attention to him. He needed to try one last Spin Attack. Tired, he spun in place one last time and blasted through. He bulldozed through the crowd again and was just about to pass through the door and infiltrate the metal fortress when…  
  
"OW!!!"  
  
He finally hit something he couldn't break and bounced off it, head throbbing. He looked and saw a new line of robots marching out of the door. These were golden and held jagged shields.  
  
"Diamond," he muttered to himself. The hardest substance on Earth. He could pierce through Eggman's pathetic steel, but the sharp diamond was a little too much. Smart on the doc's part, but a bit unorthodox, even for him. He was so proud of his inventions, but now he was getting natural substances for help? Odd. What was he supposed to do now?  
  
He jumped over the one robot and began to spin rapidly around it, hoping to fling the shield into the air with his Blue Tornado. But when he landed, he saw it had done nothing. The robot had kept a vice grip on the shield and now held a gun to Sonic's head. Could he get out of there in time?  
  
Of course he could.  
  
Sonic was a good few feet away from the robot when the beam fired. He heard a small explosion as the beam accidentally hit one of Eggman's orange security bots. The hedgehog laughed a bit at the robots' incompetence, but stopped instantly as he crashed into another diamond shield held by another gold robot. Down went Sonic again. He shook his head and rolled away from the beam, then pushed his body…  
  
"OWW!"  
  
Pain shot through Sonic's entire body now for trying to use his injured wrists to get up. The robot held his gun at Sonic again. The hedgehog rolled away just in time and tried to get up again, but his chest was simply too sore. Two other shield robots helped surround Sonic to keep him from rolling away again. The first gold one, along with the other two, held their guns at Sonic's chest, ready to fire.  
  
There were too many of them!  
  
Suddenly, a loud bang drew the attention of all the robots, and Sonic. A giant flame puffed into the air like a mushroom cloud. Somewhere off in the distance, someone shouted "YE-HAAA!!!!"  
  
Sonic knew it was one of the guys from the mountain-finally!-but was not sure who. Maybe it was the bounty hunter, or Tails…or one of those guys from Carnival Island, like Mighty or Vector. Anyway, he needed to take advantage of this moment.  
  
He used his elbows to shove his body upward and had his feet plant to the ground to get himself up. At top speed, he ran through the crowd of robots and into the door of robots, and shot through the crowd with yet another Spin Attack. He was getting dizzy with all this spinning, but it was effective. He cut through six more robots and dashed through a closing steel door. No more robots came his way. Eggman must have finally run out, Sonic thought. About friggin' time.  
  
Bzzt…  
  
"Hold on, man! Blade's sayin' you're goin' in the base…what're you doing? You're supposed-"  
  
"No offense," Sonic growled back into the microphone, "but I ain't listening to you anymore. This is personal." And with that, he took off the headset and threw it against a steel wall, wrecking the communication link.  
  
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"This ain't good," RaGiff murmured.  
  
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The steel doors slammed shut behind Sonic. He stared down a long, winding, cylinder tunnel, filled with purple tubes running along the upper left and right portions of the tunnel, a gray path on the bottom, and glass walls. There didn't appear to be any traps here. Of course, you never knew Eggman, but still…this simply looked like a long transport path.  
  
Sonic would crack his knuckles again, but he wanted to avoid aggravating the injury to his wrists again. Instead, he simply stretched out his gloves and pulled up his socks. After quickly wiping off his hi-tops, he knew there could be no more delay.  
  
"I'm not letting you off easy anymore, Eggman," Sonic muttered. "You've made my life a living hell. But now I've got nothing to lose, so I can end yours. Hope you didn't expect to win that election for mayor of Capital City, 'cause you're going to have an early dropout." His slight smirk vanished, replaced with a determined stone face. He began moving his feet in place for another peel-out move.  
  
"This will be our last showdown. May the best battler win."  
  
And with that, he sped down the hall.  
  
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As Blade ran with the team of Vector and Big, he got a quick buzz from RaGiff in his radio. He clicked a button and shouted into it.  
  
"Where's the damn hedgehog?!?!?" he yelled.  
  
"Taking care of business while you guys act as a distraction," RaGiff made up. "New plan. But he's got some very interesting news that you'd take particular interest in."  
  
"Like what, RaGiff? It better not be anything short of the Resurrection we're talking about here, I'm kinda busy."  
  
"Heck man, the Lord ain't got nothin' on this."  
  
"Then spill it, goddammit!"  
  
"Alright. You remember that old army saying? You know, how red and blue make violet and victories?..." 


	19. Chapter 39 to 40

Sorry for the complete and utter lack of updates, people. In all honesty, I got busted because I messed up at school and thus had C's in two classes, so I lost the Internet for a good, long while. The good news is, because it's break, and because I've been doing better (I now only have B's and A's), I got the "privilege" of the Internet back for the week. Bad news-after that, I won't be allowed on until the folks see fit, so I'll try to get as many updates in as possible in that time. Say what you will about the punishment, but here's two nice, long chapters for your trouble.  
  
And I've got plenty of plans for a couple stories, including a couple original fictions and a possible sequel to this one. Stay tuned for details.  
  
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Chapter 39  
  
Defective  
  
"He's in," hissed the voice in her huge metallic body. "Damn it. But the echidna's probably dead anyway…maybe this will be more fun. More interesting. Hm…  
  
"Unload all forces onto the outside battlefield. Don't let anyone else inside. Lock down all doors. All I want is the hedgehog."  
  
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"Ugh! UNH!"  
  
Blade swung the sword around with all his might, taking out robot after robot. He was like a fine-tuned machine. He took out two enemies at once at the front, then whirled around and kicked away another approaching from behind. Although technically, the "team" Beta should have been mowing down the enemies together, Big had run off somewhere else completely, leaving Blade to most of the work on the outer left flank. He could use some help, but obviously, he'd never admit that. To everyone else, and to himself, he was an invincible warrior. He could never admit he needed assistance. But he had gotten it from that massive explosion from behind. Possibly that bomb 'Giff had Sonic set up on the carrier? It had taken a lot longer than a half hour, but whatever worked…  
  
Meanwhile, Team Charlie…er…Delta…was having its fair share of problems. Mighty wasn't quite as acrobatic as the others, so when Charmy threw him to one of the cannons, it took a while for Mighty to get back in the air-either by jumping, or by Charmy swooping down to get him. They were deactivating some of the sentry towers and cannons, but not with enough speed to be effective enough. They needed Tails…or that batgirl, Rouge, that Blade had mentioned. Where the hell was she, anyway?  
  
Team Alpha was doing great. Espio, Amy, and Vector were slicing down the middle of the forces and taking out the heart of the enemy. Teams Beta and Delta were attracting a lot of attention, allowing them to cut through with lower resistance. Their speed kept foes from picking up on their location. Soon, though, Vector noticed trouble with Delta.  
  
"They could use some help," he shouted. "I'll swing over there for a while."  
  
Amy was about to object when Espio called back, "Get outta here, man." Vector saluted and veered through the crowd of enemies, swinging his arms wildly to get to Charmy and Mighty.  
  
"Now what?" Amy screamed to the chameleon.  
  
"Simply proceed with caution and concentrate on what you're doing." Espio proceeded to flip into the air and spin a tornado around him. Dozens of orange robots were flung into each other, destroying a mass number of the force. Amy didn't see Espio anymore.  
  
"Espio!" she shrieked. One enemy blew up with no apparent cause. Espio? He must be invisible again. This left Amy on her own again. She took her hammer and smacked a few enemies around herself.  
  
Over to Team Delta.  
  
"Vector!" Charmy cried almost happily.  
  
It was now a cycle. Once Charmy flung Mighty at a cannon, Vector jumped up and was fired instantly, giving Mighty time to get back up, and it simply continued. Faster, but lack of numbers were still hurting them. Sure, they were attracting the attention of many of the cannons and watch towers, but it was still god only knew how many of them against the group of three-and they were essentially one body, with two of the three acting as cannonballs. Deterring fire from the speed unit wasn't going to help if they were shot out of the sky, and it looked like the power team Beta was in too deep as it was. This all-out assault was falling apart quickly. Tails had better hurry up with that robot, because it'd take that and a miracle to get out of this safely, Charmy thought.  
  
Blade felt like Aragorn in "Lord of the Rings," taking out the brunt of the foes. But even the great warrior knew he was beginning to slow down. It didn't show, but he was getting a bit tired-even he, who had such great stamina. His sword was a faint orange, but he no longer felt the "spirit of the flame," as he had called it. He groaned as he stabbed another robot to its demise. He swore his sword was becoming electrified with all the mechanical stuff he'd ripped through recently-the military ships, these robots…he should get a medal for all this. Or some kind of sheet where he can mark all the robots he's destroyed. Though he wouldn't be able to count it by…  
  
PSZOOOWWWW!  
  
A loud, piercing noise like the sound of a firing laser emanated from somewhere behind Blade. His first instinct was to whirl around, but that wouldn't be the warrior's instinct-or the smart thing to do. So he fought his curiosity-and cautiousness-and continued to fight.  
  
He didn't have to wait long because Charmy, easily distracted, screamed, "It's DONE!"  
  
About bloody time.  
  
Blade wanted to look, dearly. He wanted to see the finished product. His hunter's instinct kept him from it, but he heard the sound of flowing energy getting closer and closer. Finally, a rush of air, and a streak of gold cut through the orange ocean of machinery. Lightning crackled in the sky and thunder shook the earth as Metal wiped out a whole line of metal soldiers in seconds flat. After its initial charge, it did a back flip and spun like crazy, a black and blue shield rotating around it and blowing up all the robots even remotely close to it.  
  
Tails flew over to Charmy, Vector, and Mighty, his dual tails whirring faster and faster. He swooped down and grabbed Vector by the wrists, lifting him back into the black night air. Charmy and Tails then continued their assault on the cannons and sentry towers.  
  
Espio continued to take out enemies quickly and unseen, but ran into trouble when he found six other golden robots, each with a shield. A hard, rock one. Shiny, too. What was he gonna do about this?  
  
He decided to ignore them instead. But now what?  
  
"Eargh!" Amy grunted behind him. Espio turned to see the young pink hedgehog swinging her hammer desperately, trying to take out the enemies. The poor girl could use a little help, he thought. He jumped over the enemies and prepared to dive down for an attack when…  
  
ZZT!  
  
"ACK!"  
  
One of the gold robots from before picked Espio off in mid air with a laser. He turned visible again. The chameleon grasped his burning chest as he plummeted to the ground.   
  
Right into the spear of one of the robots.  
  
Metal Sonic turned his head just in time to see this episode. The robot disappeared, then reappeared just near Espio as he snatched the chameleon up and landed just beyond the orange security bots. He slowly let Espio out of his arms just in time for both of them to dodge out of the way of a shot barrage by the crowd of orange robots and the gold shield robots. Although the hard rock shields took most of the laser and rocket damage from the orange machines, half of the weaker robot grunts were taken out from the accidental fire of the gold ones. The other orange robots stood around for a few seconds wondering what had happened. This gave Amy enough time to destroy six more robots. Espio locked onto the other troops and shoved his feet downward, taking out the few of the group that remained. He bounced back into the air from the recoil, then spun in mid-air to avoid the laser fire of the frustrated gold robots. The distraction opened a hole for Metal Sonic. He had been flying around, dodging beams and attracting the attention of other guns, and finally swung around and burst through the debris of the orange robots and began shimmering gold again. The golden robots finally saw Metal and held their shields out to block his attack.  
  
It didn't help.  
  
Metal shattered the diamond shields and cut right through the first two robots of the group. He quickly planted down to the ground, turned and blasted forward again. Before the gold robots could turn around, Metal performed an incredible feat. He moved so fast, it actually appeared to the others that there were two copies of Metal Sonic. The "two" Metals blasted through the gold robots from behind, blowing them to smithereens.  
  
The gold ones caused an explosion high enough to even catch Blade's attention. The warrior had taken out almost the entire left flank single-handedly, but the crowd was growing in number rather than falling. They must still be pumping out troops.   
  
He regained control and just ducked under one more of Eggman's troops, following up with a cross-diagonal slash. And this whole time, he thought he was taking out someone different. But, according to RaGiff, the hedgehog said Eggman and Dr. Robotnik were the same person. So, now it was personal.  
  
Time for some much-needed revenge, "Eggman," Blade thought. You ruined my life, now I'm gonna end yours.  
  
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This tunnel was long. Way too long. Sonic was trying to conserve energy, but even if he walked this whole way, he'd still be too tired by then end. So he just kept running. His stamina hadn't let him down yet. Then again, he'd never been tested quite like this, or this much, before.  
  
As he ran, the ceiling eventually became glass. Soon, the same happened with the walls, and before Sonic knew it, the entire tunnel he was running in was made of clear glass. At first, on the outside, he saw pitch black, as if he was underground or something. Then, for some odd reason, it quickly turned blue, like the sky. Was he in the air? Or underwater? What the heck was going on here?  
  
It's nothing, he told him, Eggman's just messing with your head. Keep going.  
  
The blue outside eventually got darker and darker until Sonic couldn't see anything. Something was really screwed up here. Definetly freaked out, Sonic stopped for a second for fear of running into something. Then, he heard a sound like thunder and felt the glass floor tremble beneath him. Something outside, maybe? That battle must be getting pretty intense.  
  
Then, the tunnel shook again.  
  
Sonic began to jog slowly, trying to "sense" an incoming obstacle.  
  
Another shake.  
  
Sonic thought he saw a faint flash on his right, outside of the tunnel, but it went away faster than it appeared. Probably nothing, but then again…  
  
Shaking once more.  
  
Sonic gasped.   
  
He jumped and landed on the side wall just as the floor beneath him shattered into millions of tiny shards. They were snowflakes falling to the black abyss below him. No doubt, if that Egghead was still runnin' the show, he was pulling out all the stops.  
  
He began to lose his balance. So he curled into a ball and tried to roll to pick up speed.  
  
Bad idea. Very bad idea. Because the glass couldn't take the rapid spinning of Sonic's Spin Dash.  
  
The glass shattered. Sonic plummeted into the dark.  
  
At the last second, he turned into a ball and pushed himself. Pushed, pushed, pushed, until he somehow blasted through the air, still spinning, and shattered his way through the other wall at an upper diagonal angle. As he spun higher and higher, he saw the top of the glass tunnel. If he could just get over there…  
  
He stopped spinning, stretched out his arms and legs, and tried swimming through the air to the roof of the tunnel. Not much more time before he fell past it, he had to hurry.  
  
Could he make it?  
  
No!  
  
He was falling short.  
  
He lunged forward, arms grasping for the top.  
  
Got it!  
  
He was holding onto the edge of the glass tunnel top. Legs dangling, he flipped upward and, trying as hard as he could to land softly, touched the surface.  
  
Not a crack.  
  
Luck.  
  
He sighed deeply, shook his head, and ran on. No big deal.  
  
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Her vision blurred as she looked up. First, green and blue. Then, it separated into tree and sky. A face…slowly made out. Rouge knew it from somewhere. Where, though?  
  
It was cold out. Very cold. It felt like she was out there naked. Not completely, though, but some of her uniform must have torn off or burned off or something.  
  
Uniform.  
  
Oh yes…it was from…the squad. One of the men…  
  
"Ms. Rouge, can you hear me?" asked the voice loudly.  
  
Rouge wanted to talk, but the pain made her squirm.  
  
"Ungh…"  
  
"Private, what's the deal?" called another voice. It sounded like…the general?  
  
"She's not dead yet, General Ramsey sir," answered the soldier. "She needs professional care."  
  
"The doctor's coming, but try to keep her alive until then, soldier."  
  
Footsteps. Ramsey was gone.  
  
After all this, they continued to care for her. Complete and utter defiance of their authority, and yet here they were, keeping her last strand of life away from the scissors of death.  
  
She barely smiled.  
  
The private smiled back.  
  
"It's gonna be okay…Captain."  
  
A slight groan. Then, she closed her eyes. She was too tired.  
  
"Knu…"  
  
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"How'd you get that thing running anyway?" Charmy shouted over to Tails as they continued to throw Vector and Mighty at the cannons. With Metal Sonic leading the charge, the assault was moving much quicker.  
  
"Pretty easy," Tails yelled back. "He has an internal computer and monitor I used to hack through Eggman's old files and get rid of all the stuff that made Metal do his bidding. I created a program that has Metal Sonic obey the first person he encounters, and of course, that was me. As far as I know, all of Eggman's programs and files are gone, at least the ones we don't…"  
  
"I don't mean that!" Charmy retorted. "I mean, how'd you put it back together?"  
  
"That was the weirdest part. I didn't have any major tools, but even though there was a lot of damage done to it, the parts fit right back in! It didn't look like the connectors took any damage at all! The hard part was just getting his computer working the way I wanted."  
  
"What stuff did you keep in?"  
  
"Only…" Tails started, then swooped down to catch Vector and threw him again. "Only his combat ones. I also got rid of his data for the Metal Overlord, his monster program that thrashed us last time. And his free will is essentially gone, he only does what I command him to. When he's in combat, though, he's allowed to use his own judgment to make decisions."  
  
"Nice," said Charmy, who got the gist of what Tails was saying.  
  
"Anytime you're ready?" Vector growled from below.  
  
"Sorry!" Tails apologized, and he chucked the crocodile at another tower.  
  
"Hey," Mighty shouted to the others, "what's that?"  
  
"Huh?" asked Charmy. The armadillo pointed down at a small crimson dot right near the sentry tower Vector was careening towards.  
  
"Take a look, Mighty!" yelled Charmy.  
  
"Don't bother," Tails objected. "It's probably just a destroyed robot."  
  
Mighty shook his head. "Too dark. I'll be right back." Charmy then tossed Mighty down to the red object. Charmy continued to observe while Tails went down to get Vector.  
  
"What's he doin'?" Vector asked Tails, gesturing towards Mighty now falling to the ground not near any cannons.  
  
"He's checking out that red thing," the fox responded. "Did you noticed what it was?"  
  
"Not paying attention. Too busy slamming into a giant metal cannon."  
  
"Do you have to be sarcastic about everything?"  
  
"I do it just to…"  
  
"Y'know what? I'm not gonna listen to this crap anymore." Tails then threw the yelling crocodile away towards nothing in particular. He laughed a bit, then turned his attention to a motioning Charmy.  
  
"Mighty's tellin' us to come down!" He pointed to the ground, where a small red and black dot was waving them down.  
  
"Okay," Tails agreed. The two flew down through the clouds dodging cannon fire and finally landing on the pavement.  
  
Tails knew it before they got there.  
  
"It's Knuckles!"  
  
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Chapter 40  
  
Casualty of War  
  
Sonic continued on the roof of glass, trying to avoid running too fast and shattering the only thing keeping him from an endless drop. Or, probably, one that would end in a bunch of whirring gears. He wondered what curveball Eggman would throw at him now.  
  
The answer came at the end of the glass tunnel roof.  
  
He finally made it to the end, but there was a problem. He was above the entrance to the next part of the cave, since he was actually on the top of the passageway. So basically, the only place to go was right below him, but if he tried to get to it, he'd fall before he would get a chance to get through. Time for another Houdini moment.  
  
He slowly lowered his feet over the side of the glass and gripped it with his hands. Worried the glass would shatter under his weight, he started swinging back and forth, back and forth, until he felt he would be able to launch far enough. Sonic then let go with one hand, angled his body as close to the cave entrance…  
  
Cave?  
  
In a giant, metallic base, city?  
  
Whatever.  
  
He angled his body as close to the cave entrance as possible, and once he had swung back far enough, he flung himself forward and released his grip. In midair, he shoved his legs forward, planted down on the wall, placed his hands on the wall for slight balance, and flipped off the wall onto the rock path.  
  
Why? Why did it always have to be a cave? He was getting sick and tired of this. And what the heck was it doing in the middle of a mechanical base? Time for a little investigating.  
  
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What was that thing out there? Was it…the hedgehog? But he was inside! And that thing was…flying! What in God's name…  
  
Wait. That wasn't the hedgehog. It was that stupid scout robot that looked like him. She had sent it out a while ago. She should've guessed something was up, it hadn't even sent a transmission the whole time. But why was it destroying her own forces? She guessed she could call them hers now that the fat loser that called himself a doctor was dead. Something was obviously screwed up out there. Eh, no matter, still. Even with Metal Sonic, Sonic, and every other little rodent out there, they couldn't stop her.  
  
She returned her attention to the computer. A readout came from the northeast sector of the nearby city, Capital City. She couldn't zoom in much further, though. She wasn't as good at the computers as the doctor was, especially in this large, chunky robot. She couldn't wait to test its dormant strength.  
  
"Send out our fastest scout robot," she muttered to Omega. "Make sure to drain about eighty percent of its shield energy. Send it to Capital City, near the northeast area. Find whatever Chaos Emeralds are there. Once it returns with enough of them, the abolition of man will begin."  
  
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"Knuckles!" Mighty shouted, "wake up, man!"  
  
BOOM  
  
Mighty barely dodged an explosion from one of the cannons.  
  
"Get him outta here," Charmy said. "Get him up, I'll cover you. Tails, get Vector and keep going at those cannons."  
  
"You sure you're gonna be-" Tails began.  
  
"I'm positive, just go! Hurry up before you're blown to pieces!"  
  
Tails nodded, began whirring his tails, and hovered back into the air, flying towards Vector.  
  
Charmy shoved his gray pilot's helmet over his face, narrowed his eyes, and clenched his fists, facing an onslaught of ginger-colored security robots, as well as the cannons on the sides.  
  
Although Mighty was supposed to be waking Knuckles up-again-he couldn't help but watch this and laugh. There was nothing like an angry Charmy going postal on a whole bunch of "bad guys," as the bee put it.  
  
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Where the heck was that cat???  
  
Blade continued to swing away at the numerous robotic enemies in front of him, but his arms were getting tired and his senses were dulling. This was the time where the old trainers of the past always said that you had to step it up, or when high school sports coaches always said you had to play as hard in the fourth quarter as you did in the first. But, in this case, Blade was battling into four overtimes. Where was that stupid cat? For once, he needed him.  
  
The answer to this question came with a loud groan just a few meters to his left. He took a split second to watch the purple cat fall to the ground, gripping his chest. A spurt of red blood stained blasted from his chest and stained a nearby robot shield.   
  
A shock in his heart.   
  
He had lost another.   
  
The first casualty of this war.  
  
Flashbacks.   
  
Watching tens, hundreds fall in front of him.   
  
Back on Mobius, fighting the same robotic army.   
  
Two fall out of a crashing plane.  
  
Three around him collapsing like rag dolls from gunfire.  
  
A bomb exploding nearby, undoubtedly killing hundreds more.  
  
All those people.  
  
And it had happened again.  
  
And again, at the hands of Doctor Ivo Robotnik.  
  
The Eggman.  
  
Although he was clearly staring at the horde of robots, his image had changed back to the dreaded war scene, then to black.   
  
He couldn't.  
  
He couldn't do it again.  
  
No more.  
  
No more loss.  
  
The other robots, although under strict orders from their new master to eradicate all threats outside the base, were bemused by Blade's actions. After hours of hacking and slashing, he had just stopped, staring at something over to the left. Then…the weirdest thing of all.  
  
After all that, he was no longer the master of battle, Blade Kasille.   
  
He was now human again, he was once more Leo O'Connell.   
  
And Leo O'Connell, the fight sucked out of him, turned away from the army of machines, slowly slipped his sword back into the sheath on his back, and walked back to the mountain.  
  
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Knuckles was in a familiar place, but he didn't know where he knew it from. It was dark, for a while, but then color flooded his eyes in a rainbow wave. He squinted and held his arms up to block the massive light. Finally, his eyes adjusted to the light and he stared into it to see a beautiful young woman with blue hair levitating.  
  
"Crystal…" he whispered.  
  
"The universe has seen no wrath like mine," she bellowed. "No force is strong enough to even slow me."  
  
"What the…what's wrong with you?" Knuckles shouted. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Look at your friends…" She floated to the right, allowing Knuckles to see an image of…a battlefield. It looked just like…the place by the mountain he had been chasing Sonic at. Now, though, the mountainous floor with numerous asphalt roads was swamped with dark orange robots with various weapons. In the fight were Tails, Charmy, Espio, Mighty, Vector, Big lying on the ground covered in blood, and…some guy with a red sword. Except the swordsman was walking away, slowly, from the horde of robots.  
  
"Those are Eggman's," he concluded.  
  
"No," growled Crystal. "Now they are mine. The Eggman is no more."  
  
Knuckles was silent for a while.  
  
"Sonic…?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You."  
  
"Yes. You think the hedgehog is the cause of all your problems, but you are wrong. Dead wrong. I normally don't do this, but you have no chance of stopping me anyway, so I'll tell you.  
  
"I am the leader of the army of Dimension 8.75. We are the second army of hell, and our goal is simple-to destroy the universe and send them all to the eternal torture of hell and our master, Satan. We are his loyal spirits, but as spirits, we cannot enter the world as human figures, not without the mysterious gems called Chaos Emeralds. We must find solid hosts.  
  
"However, because the air is our home, we cannot stay in a solid figure for long. Only an hour. So initially, we took control of humans and other living beings. Including your hedgehog."  
  
"That's it!" Knuckles cried.  
  
Crystal nodded. "I took his body and took you, as well. And if you had lost in that labyrinth, I would've had you for my part of hell's army. I underestimated you."  
  
"Why not just take me and kill me yourself?" Knuckles asked, still coming to copes with the fact he almost killed Sonic for something he could not control."  
  
"But that posed a problem as well. For some of our soldiers discovered, the hard way, that if a living being is killed, the spirit that controls him is destroyed as well, never to return.  
  
"But then, I thought. Robots. They are not living things, but they are hosts that we can control. They cannot die because they do not live."  
  
"So that's the reason you killed Eggman!"  
  
"I will explain no more. I will return you back to your body. You do not have much longer left, and neither does your planet. Once I am in control of even one Emerald, I can obliterate an entire country. If I have all seven…the universe…"  
  
Knuckles caught one last glimpse of the image near Crystal. Mighty was shaking what appeared to be Knuckles' own body.  
  
"Knuckles, wake up man!" shouted the armadillo.  
  
All went black before Knuckles' mind could even process the thought.  
  
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Charmy stabbed his stinger into another enemy, but Mighty could tell the bee was getting tired. C'mon, Knuckles, get up!  
  
"Ugh…" The echidna slowly moved his hand to his head and rubbed it.  
  
"Red, it's Mighty! Wake up, man!"  
  
"I'm…up…I'm up."  
  
"Now get up, Charmy's been defending us for a while, but he needs your help."  
  
"What…?"  
  
"We're near Eggman's base, we need-"  
  
But instantly, Knuckles flipped himself up. "I know. I know everything, more than you! Charmy!" he called to the bee.  
  
"What?" gasped Charmy.  
  
"Go to the Floating Island and get the Master Emerald. Bring it back here. I'll hold these guys off." The last time Knuckles went Chaotix, he had tried to do it without the Emerald. His punishment was being knocked out until now.  
  
"Tails is faster, he should go."  
  
"Hold on!" Mighty shouted. "Look, up there!"  
  
"No time!" Knuckles yelled. The robots were charging, and they were sitting ducks if they kept talking. He ran forward and slammed his fist into one robot, then kicked away another.  
  
"Charmy," explained Mighty, "there's some robot up there flying away from the base. Chase it down, but first get Tails to go for the Master Emerald."  
  
"Got it. Help Knuckles out. I'll get Vec, too."  
  
Mighty nodded. Charmy zoomed through the flurry of cannon fire to find Tails. Mighty got focused just in time to sprint away from an exploding bomb from a grenade-throwing robot soldier. Knuckles had the left side of the horde, so he'd have to take the right.  
  
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Espio and Amy continued to slam down on the robots, but they needed some help. Something was going on near the left flank with Blade and Big, and it wasn't good, because all the enemies from that side were collapsing in on them. Simply put, this small crew wasn't enough. Even Metal Sonic, who had been swooping around and using every bit of his abilities to help, couldn't do it all. Amy saw the robot being battered by gunfire as it began to slow down, bit by bit. She crushed one robot with her hammer, but took another punch from behind. She didn't know where Espio was because he had turned invisible again, but he didn't appear to be helping. She ducked a laser beam from one large red robot, then jumped over a swing from one of the orange one's spears, but then took a whack to the head by another one. She fell to the ground, wincing, bleeding at the head, and dropped her hammer. Pain tore her body to shreds.  
  
Was it over?  
  
But the dream came back, the dream from her apartment. "It's your turn, Amy, it's your turn," Sonic's voice echoed in her head. He was right. It was her turn to step it up.  
  
She rolled from a spear that stabbed the ground. Then, she snatched her hammer and slammed it down to propel herself upwards. After spending a good few seconds in the air, she landed feet first on a robot and crushed it.  
  
Amy stared down the robots, blood trickling past her eyes and near her mouth. Her shirt was torn at the sleeves, and the bottom of her skirt was frayed and missing a chunk on the front. She wiped her nose and gripped her hammer.  
  
"It is my turn, Sonic, it's my turn," she said to herself. "This one's for you. Even if you're not even alive anymore, or if you don't even think I exist…this' for you." 


	20. Chapter 41 Another Criminal

Still looking for artwork. E-mail me at SUPASONEC@aol.com with examples that pertain to this story  
  
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Chapter 41  
  
Another Criminal  
  
With no visuals, RaGiff was completely blind to the action at hand. Blade, immersed in battle, was too busy to give him an update via the long-distance radio from the War Machine. All RaGiff could hope was that the hi-tech super car wasn't completely decimated, but it might be fun to build another one. And just to piss Leo off, he'd include a volcano detector as well.  
  
Well, nothing to do. Only one choice.  
  
He flipped on the TV and activated his personal satellite. It relayed him to Capital City's connection.  
  
Oh good, just in time for overtime.  
  
Matt Cummings of the Capital City Rage skated over to the face off circle to square off with Sam Morrison of the Milwaukee Swifts…  
  
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Sonic had to slow down because of the darkness. There wasn't a single source of light here, not even a torch. Grumbling, he put a hand to the rightmost wall to feel his way down the rocky tunnel. After walking for a tediously long amount of time, he put almost all of his weight on the right side. Suddenly, he jerked to the right. He wondered what was going on and got up to check. The hallway was now lighted by torches placed all the way down the tunnel. He examined the wall and saw a single square pushed in. A secret switch. What was this, some kind of video game?  
  
With the torches, Sonic could now run at will. But his speed was soon interrupted by a crash followed by dull rumbling. In Sonic's history, that was only bad. So he took off. He ran so fast he couldn't even distinguish the difference between the rocks, the torches, and the light. All he knew was to follow wherever the red was.  
  
Soon, the rumbling was gone. He slowed down and realized the tunnel was almost at its end. Past the rock exit was a metallic blue room. He decided to be a little quiet about it to not provoke Eggman. Slowly but surely, Sonic tiptoed out of the cave and silently placed one foot onto the metal. After he did the same with the other one, he straightened up and walked around.  
  
For a bustling burg of metal, this room sure seemed dead. Tubes that were usually flowing with some weird substance were clear. Only a few of the machines were alive and running. Usually there was an army of robots in capsules waiting to be released. There were only four or five of these. Probably because every single robot in existence was most likely outside.  
  
Curiously, Sonic walked up to the small group of capsules to see exactly who-or what-was in there. Upon further inspection, he saw there were five of them.  
  
The first one contained a small, gold robot with a huge horn on his head. Its eyes glowed a sapphire blue. Hm…Odd. Sonic had never seen this one before. Pretty cool looking.  
  
The second capsule contained the same robot as the first, except this one was silver and had gray eyes.  
  
The third one contained a red robot that bore a striking resemblance to Knuckles. Sonic had seen this before, at least twice when he had battled Eggman. He needed to make sure that if he fought Eggman here, the crazy doctor could not get a hold of these guys.  
  
The fourth one was empty. He assumed this one belonged to Metal Sonic.  
  
And the fifth…  
  
The fifth one held Shadow.  
  
Or at least what he thought was Shadow. It could be one of those thousands of robots Eggman made of Shadow back with the Egg Fleet and Metal Sonic. The black hedgehog's eyes were closed, his head was down, and his arms were in an odd position, clasped around his chest. Smiling slyly, Sonic pressed a large green button on the machine. The old doctor must have Alzheimer's because usually, he'd put a password or something. He must be worried he'd forget. Oh well, better for Sonic.  
  
The green liquid inside the capsule quickly drained from the machine. Oddly enough, Sonic felt something wet by his feet. He quickly looked and saw the emerald substance flooding out of the pod.  
  
He looked up again, then ducked to avoid the opening hatch. When he looked again, Shadow was standing in a normal position, peering at Sonic.  
  
"It's you again…" he muttered.  
  
It was definetly Shadow from last time on the Egg Fleet. But was it really…THE Shadow?  
  
Before Sonic could even get out a response, a booming metallic voice interrupted. "Fool! You dare to bring a third party into our showdown?"  
  
It could've been Eggman, but it sounded female.  
  
"Let's go!" Sonic hissed. "Give me a hand with Eggman."  
  
"Sure. Whatever…" responded the black hedgehog. He jumped down from the capsule and joined Sonic as they walked around the room. But they wouldn't walk for very long.  
  
In fact, the moment the huge computer in the center of the room exploded. Shadow blasted across the room with his air shoes to dodge the debris and Sonic flipped behind Shadow's empty capsule.  
  
"Who are you?" shouted the metal voice. "Another one of that old doctor's worthless creations? Very well, I'll stuff you in the same grave I doomed him to!"  
  
So…  
  
Eggman was dead.  
  
Sonic should've felt elated. The one who he could attribute to all his troubles was dead. But who was this woman?  
  
"I am the ultimate life form!" retorted Shadow. "Shadow the Hedgehog."  
  
"Don't flatter yourself! You're no ultimate life form! You barely live! You're just another robot, and I shall prove it to you! I am the greatest being ever to touch the Earth!"  
  
With that, Sonic looked over the machine.  
  
"Wherever you are, Sonic, you are next. I must put this chunk of metal in its place!"  
  
Sonic couldn't see the source of the voice-a large robot was blocking his view of it. Shadow dashed up to the top of the machine Sonic saw, but he didn't last up there long. A loud pulsing sound from above, and Shadow fell to the ground by the machine.  
  
"SHADOW!" Sonic screamed as he ran out to tend to the black hedgehog. But it wasn't really a hedgehog. It looked like one, but the pieces of metal scattered about the floor by Shadow's upper body and legs told Sonic he was, in fact, a robot.  
  
So the real Shadow was most likely gone.  
  
"You've finally shown yourself," muttered the voice. Sonic turned to look at the giant robot he thought was inactive. But he found out the voice was actually coming from the robot.  
  
"My name is Crystal. I am the ultimate life form. Not even the real Shadow can hold a candle to my strength. I can tell you all because you won't need to know it for very long. All will fall to the wrath of me and my master, Lucifer, the Devil."  
  
"So tell me all, "Crystal,"" Sonic responded. This must be another one of the Doctor's crazy inventions that went awry and killed him. About bloody time.  
  
"For starters, neither Blade nor Tails are your foes. Second, I am. I am the cause to all of everyone's problems."  
  
"For a robot, you sure are an idiot. First off, how could you be the cause of all my problems, and second, if you are, why would you tell me?"  
  
"I am no robot. I am forced to find hosts, and I chose you."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's how…"  
  
"Everyone thought you had killed Knuckles because you did. You did do it. You were lucky He did return through the Dimension 8.75 labyrinth, but barely."  
  
"So he's not crazy?"  
  
"No. And now, I bring my army to kill you and your friends, then destroy the world. I must take care of you first. I know you're a legend with your supersonic speed, but you have no chance against me. Still, I expect a good fight."  
  
"So just another fight against another Eggman robot? I'm up for that."  
  
"Heh heh heh…"  
  
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Where was that robot going?  
  
Tails had been following the scout robot Charmy sent him after for quite some time, and by now he figured this was just some defective robot. He was all the way to Capital City now.  
  
"Hey look, it's Tails!" shouted a young boy from below. Great. Start up a commotion. Why couldn't they pay attention to the robot? Just ignore them.  
  
Soon, they reached the center of the city. The buildings weren't as big around here. In all honesty, Tails hadn't been here to often. Only to go to the police station that one time to clear his name for a parking ticked he had received the previous week. It didn't work, and he was out twenty bucks.  
  
Ironically, the robot stopped right over the police station and slowly landed on the roof. Tails followed suit. That robot was really inattentive if he hadn't noticed him by now. Some scout.  
  
The robot revealed a laser in his chest and slowly carved a hole in the roof. What could the robot want here?  
  
Then, he remembered. The Chaos Emeralds. The police had announced they had taken "seven mysterious, colored jewels" from Sonic they assumed were stolen jewelry.  
  
Eggman-or whoever-wanted the Emeralds!  
  
This robot obviously had no clue what it was doing. Sneaking in took too long.  
  
Once the hole was completely cut, Tails jumped the robot. He ripped off the weak machine's head and kicked its lower part onto the street and tossed its head down along with it. Finally, he hopped off the roof and entered the station.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Prower," greeted the secretary happily. "How can I help you?" she asked.  
  
"Just something quick, Natalie. I wanted to take a look at those jewels the cops took in when they captured Sonic."  
  
"Generally," the red haired woman said reluctantly, "we don't do that…"  
  
"I'm on official government business," Tails explained, holding up a fake G.U.N. security card Amy had given him.  
  
"Ah, you're with G.U.N.?" Natalie responded.  
  
"Yes," Tails lied. "They're interested in the gems. They think they might be Chaos Emeralds they can use to power their machines, and they know I'm familiar with them."  
  
Natalie looked nervous, but leaned over the desk. "Follow me," she whispered. She got up and opened a door behind her, beckoning him towards it. He followed.  
  
They walked down a long hallway, greeting a couple high ranking policemen on the way. Finally, Natalie unlocked the last door of the hall. She and Tails walked in. Tails saw the Emeralds immediately, but that wasn't very hard-they were in a large case in the middle of the room.  
  
"The police had the same speculations as G.U.N., apparently. They put these in a different room from the evidence." She paused to let Tails "examine" them as he tried to find a way to open them. "What do you think?" Natalie asked.  
  
"Hard to tell by sight alone. Could I get a feel of them? I wanna check their streak and texture."  
  
"Um…okay…" Natalie responded unwillingly. She walked over to a keypad Tails hadn't seen. "I'll need your card," she explained. "I need to swipe it."  
  
Now it was Tails' turn to be nervous. If the card didn't work, he was screwed. He finally handed it over.  
  
But amazingly, when the secretary swiped it in the thin slot, the case lifted away from the gems.  
  
"There you go," she said. Tails walked up and grabbed one of them. Examining the room again, he saw a loose paper bag in the corner. Quick as a wink, the fox grabbed the bag, shoved all the gems off the platform and into the bag, and ran off down the hallway, Natalie screaming in pure horror behind him. 


	21. Chapter 42 All Hope Rests

Still looking for artwork. E-mail me at SUPASONEC@aol.com with examples that pertain to this story  
  
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Chapter 42  
  
All Hope Rests  
  
A slap shot from the right side, saved by Burris! The rebound right to Miroslav, no, it goes wide! Here comes Neil around the back of the net for Capital City, the series tied 3-3, the game tied 2-2 here in overtime. He wraps around the net, tries to jam the puck in, stoned by Burris, but Neil keeps going. Finally, Franklin swoops in for Milwaukee and knocks it out, but it's picked off by Cummings for Capital City! One timer from the slot…  
  
The game was interrupted by a radio buzz for RaGiff. What? Who would have the time to call him down there? Grumbling, he leaned over to press a button to receive as cheers erupted from the TV and the announcers screamed "You'll never see another winning shot like that again!"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Is there any way to power up the War Machine any faster?"  
  
"Leo? What the hell you doing?"  
  
"I'm leaving. I can't fight anymore…"  
  
"Why? You get banged up or something?"  
  
"I just can't…"  
  
"Huh? And why can't you just?"  
  
"I can't stand it…No more war…I can't lose anyone else anymore."  
  
Oh, for the love of…  
  
"Man, don't you get it? You're not out there because you're bein' punished, you're out there to keep other people from bitin' the big one. You're out there…to get her back."  
  
RaGiff hated to do that, but there was no other way to get him to go back. And he knew he had hit home the moment he'd said it.  
  
"You get it now, Leo?"  
  
There was no answer from the other end.  
  
"Leo?"  
  
He checked the status of the connection. There was no connection. Blade had cut it.  
  
Now what? Had Leo gone back or had he left for his machine? Even RaGiff had no way to tell that. So, only one thing to do…at least now that the game was over.  
  
He changed the channel to yet another Earth network. He loved his long-distance satellite.  
  
"Welcome to the NBA on ABC. You're just in time for the Eastern Conference Playoff Game 4 between the Capital City Storm and the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly leads the best of seven series 2-1…"  
  
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Blade had to give that guy one thing. He had hit home the moment he said it and he knew it. But he was right. This was time for revenge. Eggman had killed countless friends and family in those wars. Even those he didn't kill he had taken in some way. James was still missing. Cassie was still missing. And this was the way he got back.  
  
He could never completely make up for all the hurt. But here was a pretty good way to do it.  
  
He wiped off his shirt, pulled up the waist of his jeans, shook out his short auburn hair, and blinked his flaming red eyes. Finally, after all these…er…"preparations," he unsheathed his sword and ran back to the battle. He hadn't gotten too far, he had barely gotten to the top of the mountain.  
  
Once he got enough velocity, he began to slide down. He saw a couple developments had taken place while he had gone. First, Metal Sonic was flying Big's dead body to the side so that it didn't get in the way anymore. Second, Tails wasn't there anymore. And third…Knuckles was up and at 'em again. Good thing too, because had he not, the rest of them might've been dead by now. Time for a little assistance of his own.  
  
He planted near the bottom and jumped so high you'd think he was flying. He swung his sword over his head and downward, screaming and old samurai cry he had learned before he had left Morphos.  
  
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Now she was in trouble. All the gusto in the world couldn't help her here.  
  
One of the robots had knocked her hammer out of her hands. A second one blasted it out of the air with a laser blast.  
  
Of all the time she needed Espio to come over and stealthily destroy one of these, she needed it now. But, naturally, Espio was nowhere in sight, and he hadn't been for a while.  
  
Another robot grabbed her wrists. Screaming and flailing, Amy tried to break free, but the iron grip (literally) of the robot was too much She kicked away one other robot, but yet another orange one grabbed her ankles A third and fourth one helped out, and soon, she was being stretched out by four robots, each of whom had either her wrist or her ankle.  
  
"YEE..EEH…EARGH!"  
  
Well, at least she'd be taller. But also dead.  
  
The robots had the rest of the machines clear a lane for just one of them. The only one left near her with a ridiculously long spear. The two robots with her wrists jumped on top of the ones with her ankles so she was facing the robot with the spear. That same robot began charging, spear first.  
  
Amy jammed her eyes shut. She couldn't watch.  
  
She waited. And waited. God, for someone with a spear as long as that, it was taking them forever to gore her.  
  
Suddenly, she felt the grips from her wrists relinquish themselves. She fell all the way back by her ankles without someone supporting her upper body. Her abdominal muscles couldn't hold it. He ankles felt like they were going to snap anytime now. Then, she fell to the ground by her back.  
  
"OOMF!"  
  
She opened her eyes. She saw Blade's…or Leo's; she thought it was more appropriate to call him by her official name, even though Blade did sound cooler. Anyway, she saw his face smile down on her. Quickly, he handed Amy's hammer to her and jumped away.  
  
Amy dropped the hammer, pushed her body up, and grabbed the hammer again. Instead of waiting for the robot onslaught, she charged towards it.  
  
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Tails was getting close to the mountain when he looked down for a second. The military was down there. He couldn't tell exactly what they were doing there, but there was apparently a medical team down there caring for someone. Who, though? No one he knew, probably. He kept going.  
  
There was the battlefield. He just had to get to Sonic. Then whoever was taking him so long wouldn't last much longer.  
  
"Cover me guys!" he shouted to the fighters, even though Charmy was the only one who could hear him. Charmy nodded and Tails flew off towards the main buildings. More specifically, the giant tower that rested at the center of the metallic city. He gripped the bag extra tight just to be sure he didn't drop it.  
  
Wait, this was going to take too long. He was fast, but not fast enough. He had an idea of how to get them there faster.  
  
"Metal!" he called out.  
  
Even thought Metal Sonic was almost a half mile away, the machine's incredible hearing recognized Tails' voice. It ceased its slashing away of enemies with its claws and flew over as fast as it could to the hovering fox.  
  
"Master…" it whirred.  
  
"Bring this to Sonic. He's inside that large gray metal tower."  
  
"Sonic…"  
  
This response slightly worried Tails. Would bringing Sonic back into its memory spark something he may have forgotten to erase? Something like…the second stage between Metal Sonic and the overlord program he got rid of?  
  
Oh, don't think about that, Miles. There's no way that's gonna happen.  
  
"Here." He handed Metal the bag. "Hurry up, we can't last much longer out here."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Metal was just about to zoom off when…  
  
"Wait."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Tell him with regards from Tails."  
  
"Yes…sir."  
  
And Metal Sonic was off. Despite all his preparations, Tails still found it unnerving that pretty much all their hopes rested on the one robot that just a few months back had almost destroyed the world.  
  
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If Eggman had used this years ago in one of his other schemes, Sonic might not have been able to save the world.  
  
This thing was incredible. It wasn't bad enough it was faster, bigger, and stronger than any other robot he'd seen before, but it was also being controlled by that "Crystal" person who had started all this. Although Sonic didn't show it, he was really pissed off. It was time to take out his anger on this thing.  
  
But not without having some fun.  
  
"Hey girl," he called as he sped away from a solid laser beam, "if you were goin' any slower, I'd say you were stuck in a time warp or something!"  
  
No response. She was too serious. Of course, Sonic had trouble calling that robot a "she" because it was a huge mech like you saw in those futuristic games like Mechwarrior, but technically it was a woman.  
  
"No answer? Figures. Can't even speak fast enough to keep up with me."  
  
Sonic stopped, then ran towards the giant mech's legs. Once underneath them, he jumped and spun into a ball, trying to blast through it. But when he touched it, he simply bounced off it.  
  
"UNGH!"  
  
He slammed into the ground and looked up at the bottom. What was that stuff?  
  
Compressed diamond.  
  
Perfect.  
  
He rolled to get up and dashed back out from under the mech. "Tough one, eh? Good for me, I need the training."  
  
"Heh heh heh," laughed Crystal. "So cocky, yet so tired and so weak. Don't worry. I'll end it soon. I feel my strength coming closer…and closer…"  
  
What other strength could she have? Oh yeah, the Chaos Emeralds! But they were still at the police station. She must've sent someone to get them for her because she was too lazy.  
  
He wouldn't reveal that he too could use the Emeralds. Not yet. He'd give her a nice surprise when her "strength" came back.  
  
For now, though, time to dodge the thousands of missiles she began firing at him.  
  
But she was right, he was exhausted. How much longer could he do this? 


	22. Chapter 43 Red and Gold

Thanks to those who have sent me examples of Sonic artwork. As for everyone else, please e-mail me at SUPASONEC@aol.com with examples that pertain to this story  
  
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Chapter 43  
  
Red and…Gold  
  
Panting, Espio jumped again and dashed towards another robot, cutting right through it. He was invisible, but not invincible. If he got hit, he'd be visible again, and then he was screwed. His legs felt like two ton weights and his arms felt like magnets trying to pull him to the ground.  
  
That wasn't the most demoralizing thing, though. The biggest killer was that it didn't seem like he was making any impact. Sure, robots were falling, but it just seemed like for every one he took down, three more came in its place.  
  
Here came three more. They didn't see him, at least he didn't think, so he did the same thing-jumped, darted towards them, bounced up, hit the next one, bounced up, and hit the final one to K.O. them all. He landed and hung his head in exhaustion. Staring at the rocky area he stood on, Espio felt the first drop of rain on his face. Slowly, his head rose to examine his surroundings and to see how the others were doing. The pure black sky occasionally lit up with lightning. Gradually, the rain began to pick up.   
  
"Oof!"  
  
Something collided with Espio's left side, and just as the chameleon tried to move, an orange robot fell on top of him and dropped him to the ground. He bucked the robot off him, then gasped, realizing his mistake.  
  
Now the robots knew for sure his little secret to success, and his relative position. Espio's fatigue showed in the next sequence. Normally, he'd be able to sprint away before he was attacked. However, more tired than usual, he wasn't quick enough to get good enough footing to run. And when he finally raced away, he ran right into his undoing. Not even Sonic or Blade could've evaded the swinging staff held by a nearby robot. Lying on the ground as crimson blood trickled across his face, Espio could do nothing. He was barely staying conscious. Another orange robot stood over him, aimed its gun for his heart, and pulled the trigger.  
  
There was no Metal Sonic to save him this time.  
  
SMASH!  
  
The mech blasted away another machine with missiles in another failed attempt to blow Sonic away.  
  
"Hope you're planning on paying for that!" Sonic shouted back to Crystal as he tore away from the blast.  
  
"Is that all you do?" the mech responded. "Run?"  
  
"Is that all you do?" the hedgehog shot back. "Shoot like crazy?"  
  
Sonic turned just in time to see a red laser head right for him. At the last second, he screeched to a halt and watched the laser fly over him and pierce a plasma monitor. When it finally thinned out, the metal monitor was slowly oozing down onto the computer panel. Sonic whirled around to size up the silver mech quickly before another pair of guns popped out of its shoulders.  
  
"I feel it…" Crystal hummed. "My strength slowly comes to me…"  
  
"Give up on that!" Sonic yelled. "You won't live long enough to get it!"  
  
"Grrr!"  
  
Sonic sped away as he felt the heat of two high-powered flamethrowers behind him. But what was this…the heat was increasing? Was it actually catching up to him? Amazed, he bolted to the rightmost wall and observed the right cannon bursting a capsule containing an odd blue liquid and spilling the stuff everywhere. The left one melted the capsule formally containing Shadow. Sonic was paying more attention to the mech itself as its head turned to watch him. He looked quickly for a weak spot, and although he didn't find one, he saw something interesting-a shaking bolt on the right arm. Bingo.  
  
Sonic pushed off of the wall, his eyes locked in on the large bolt. He started spinning as fast as possible and braced himself for impact.  
  
Crystal had no time to react.  
  
Sonic pounded the loose bolt, bounced off, and forced himself on top of the right arm, staring right into the mech.  
  
"What're you gonna do now?" Sonic taunted. "Can't reach me, eh?"  
  
A growling sound came from the mech as it slowly moved its left arm in an awkward position to try and aim for Sonic with a laser gun. But just as the gun fired, the long nail holding the right arm up snapped and fell to the ground, with Sonic on it. The blast sent one of the metal walls falling to the ground. Laughing, Sonic saw a gaping hole in the mech where the arm used to be. He soared through the air into the obviously confused mech's arm hole.  
  
It was red and black inside with a lot of whirring gears. There had to be something in here, some big core of energy that blew up the whole thing. He tried to walk forward, but he was worried he'd be burned by one of the gears. Finally, he resorted to spinning-again. He barely cut through the gears and finally landed to see two pipes pumping up and down. Timing his hands, he grabbed them to stop them, trying as hard as he could to take the pain in his wrists. Would this do anything?  
  
Eventually, steam began to hiss out of the pipes. Finally, harnessing all of his arm strength, he yanked the tubes out. White steam blasted as hard as possible. This was getting him nowhere. He began spinning in place and pushed downward. He slowly began to cut through the bottom. Eventually, he reached that compressed diamond bottom. He was getting, very, very hot, near the point of passing out due to the heat. Finally, exhausted, he stopped. He had gotten maybe a quarter of the way through the diamond. Now to get out of here. He jumped as high as possible, grasped the edge of the metal he had cut through, lifted himself up, and ran back out the armhole. He finally landed back in Eggman's lab and turned to look at the mech. What he saw astounded him.  
  
The mech was slowly collapsing in on itself. And a light blue mist rose above it. Eventually, the mist transformed into a beautiful woman with blue hair.  
  
"Crystal…" Sonic growled. "So you're not some stupid robot after all."  
  
"I need not this piece of junk," she hissed. "My scout has returned with my strength."  
  
As if on cue, an explosion rocked the wall behind her. The dust settled, and a familiar cobalt robot appeared with a sack.  
  
"Metal!"  
  
But instead of going to Crystal, Metal Sonic raced over to Sonic. The real hedgehog got ready to fight him off, but slowly relaxed as he saw Metal was not going to attack him.  
  
"What's in the bag, man?" Sonic growled.  
  
"This…is…for you," the robot stuttered in a metallic voice. "With regards…from Master Tails."  
  
"What??"  
  
Sonic snatched the bag out of Metal's hands. He pulled it open and…  
  
"God…"  
  
Inside the sack were seven shimmering gems…Those special gems he had stripped from him at the police station.  
  
"Fool!" Crystal cried. "You seal your fate!"  
  
Quick as a flash, the Emeralds flew out of the bag and levitated around her. She shimmered brighter and brighter as the Emeralds spun faster and faster.  
  
"Damn!" Sonic shouted. He turned to Metal Sonic. "You said these were from Tails?"  
  
"Yes…For you. To save…us all."  
  
Sonic clenched his fists. She was right. She was the cause to all his problems. Not Tails, not Knuckles, not Blade, not Mighty and his friends…her.  
  
"EEEAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!"  
  
Sonic flexed and screamed loud enough for the whole world to hear. Crystal was slowly getting bigger and bigger, and she appeared to be growing a dragon-like tail. It didn't matter to Sonic.  
  
He felt strength reaching his body, strength not his own. He began shaking and clasped his arms to his chest.  
  
Now Crystal was a giant, blue dragon. Her wings were as wide as houses and her body the size of the world's largest building. Her claws extended to the length of half a football field.  
  
Sonic too was changing. He began levitating and glowing a bright yellow. His green eyes slowly turned ruby red.  
  
Simultaneously, Crystal completed her transformation as a massive dragon as Sonic finished morphing into his super form. An explosion of epic proportions commenced.  
  
Outside the base, the entire battlefield erupted into a swirl of gold and blue. Charmy, who had begun to fly off to get the Master Emerald, stopped dead in his tracks. The rest of the fighters simply stared. Two figures emerged from the explosion. One, a colossal blue dragon. The other, a small golden spot.  
  
Blade knew exactly what had happened. He had studied the outer world myths and the legend of the Chaos Emeralds back on Morphos during college. It was the Armageddon. Or, possibly, an evil plot stopped in its tracks. If Sonic was strong enough.  
  
"It's on," he whispered. Then, he saw something very, very interesting. Those seven Chaos Emeralds floated between them. His brother had told him that whoever gained these seven gems was given unlimited energy.  
  
"Just think, Leo, man," he had said just a year before war broke out. "Me and you, if we got those Emeralds, we'd be like the invincible brothers! No one could stop us!"  
  
Now was the time to put that to the test.  
  
Blade ran up to the dragon's enormous foot and jumped on it as it and Sonic started each other down. He bounced off the foot and soared higher and higher into the air. Now, to aim just right! He floated right through the ring of Chaos Emeralds, focusing all his thoughts.  
  
"What???" boomed the dragon. Odd…this wasn't the devil, it sounded too feminine.  
  
But it didn't matter. He could feel his fall down to the earth slow down, slow down, slow down…until he stopped falling.  
  
He looked down. He was levitating. He looked at his right arm. It glowed a crimson red. His sword shook with energy. Now, how to fly? He soon realized it was as easy as walking. Simply thinking about it, he floated up to Sonic, facing the dragon.  
  
Sonic stared on at Blade, whose brown hair had begun waving with energy like one of those Japanese cartoons. His already large muscles now bulged from his arms and chest.  
  
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Sonic growled. He might have been joking, but even he wasn't sure at this point, he was so angry.  
  
Blade smiled. "Well, I heard a long time ago that red and blue made violet and victories. I'm sure we could make an exception in this case."  
  
Sonic slowly cracked a smile of his own. The two lifted their hands and grasped the other's hand. They nodded and turned to the large dragon that was Crystal.  
  
"You cheat, hedgehog," it hissed. "This should have been a historic battle of two greats. But no matter, I will destroy you both, then make mincemeat out of your pathetic mudball of a home!" 


	23. Chapter 44 Dynamic Duo

Chapter 44  
  
Dynamic Duo  
  
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"First to rid this place of all these distractions," she hissed. The two massive claws rose above her monstrous head. Her eyes glowed a fearsome dark green as the two claws slapped together. Instantaneously, the ground below Sonic and Blade erupted into scores of fireballs, scorching the earth and almost everything around it.  
  
"Huh?" Blade wondered aloud.  
  
"No!" Sonic gasped. "Tails! Amy!"  
  
"Ha ha ha…Worry not, at least for now. Your friends are unharmed. I cannot kill the living like that, but all the robots are gone."  
  
"Metal…" Sonic whispered.  
  
He couldn't believe he actually cared for that metal death trap. Amazing.  
  
"Now that those are out of the way, your friends can watch you be-EEEEEAAAAAAAARRRRRHHHH!"  
  
The dragon howled in pain and leaned towards Sonic. From over its back, Sonic could see a glow of red behind it.  
  
"Blade!" he shouted.  
  
The warrior shot up higher just in time to avoid Crystal's tail as she swung it back and forth. Blade then took his sword over his head and plummeted down to the neck of the dragon. But she flashed a claw into his path. The sword almost snapped in two like a twig as it hit a single nail of the claw. Blade quickly zoomed under the dragon and looked for an opening underneath, but all he saw were diamond scales, just like Smaug had in that one book…which one? He knew Tolkien wrote it…  
  
No time. Crystal bent her neck all the way under her chest and spat a cylinder of blue fire towards Blade. He dropped just beneath it.  
  
"RRRRGH!"  
  
Just above, Sonic hammered Crystal's neck with two fists. Any normal beast would've had its neck broken. In this case, he still caused a considerable amount of pain. The angry Crystal swung her neck to whack Sonic, but the quick gold hedgehog flashed just away from it.  
  
"GRRRRR!"  
  
Now it was Blade's turn for a hit. He stabbed his sword into one uncovered area of her chest.  
  
"Too slow!" Sonic called from above. He zoomed into Crystal's head and battered her with a bicycle kick, then barrel-rolled away from her when she blew fire.  
  
"Can't keep up, eh?" taunted the hedgehog.  
  
Blade was about to comment when he stopped. Something was wrong.  
  
"Sonic! Keep attacking it!"  
  
"No kidding!"  
  
"I mean, stop joking! That thing's not at full potential!"  
  
"What??"  
  
"Smarter than you look," growled the dragon. Suddenly, she began to spin rapidly. Sonic covered his face to shield himself from the wind. Blade flew over next to him.  
  
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Down below, Knuckles, Amy, and the others watched on.  
  
"Sonic, why?" Amy cried. "Why again???"  
  
Knuckles was more focused on the dragon.  
  
"Tails!" he shouted. "You got anything left?"  
  
"You kidding?" the fox responded. "I'm bored! I'm ready to-"  
  
"Great! Get to Angel Island and get me my Master Emerald! Hurry!"  
  
Tails didn't even bother asking. He simply nodded and flew away.  
  
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A flash emitted from the spinning dragon. Crystal was cackling something Sonic and Blade couldn't hear.  
  
"We were goin' good for a while there," Sonic said. Blade said nothing, instead looking at the dragon.  
  
"This is so weird…It's just like that one book," Blade muttered.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I saw one crazy book in the library," Blade explained without turning his head, "that said the end of the world would come to an end by not the Devil nor Jesus, but by a servant of one of them, depending on whether or not the Earth was worthy of redemption. But I can't tell…what this one serves, heaven or hell."  
  
"Her name is Crystal," Sonic responded, "and she's a bad one. She's with "King Satan" as she says."  
  
"Guess that makes it easy to guess which side she's on."  
  
The light shone brighter and brighter until Blade and Sonic could no longer talk because the light was too distracting. Finally, it disappeared. In its place flew a black dragon with red claws and gray eyes, much sleeker and more dangerous looking than the last.  
  
"See me, the true king of all evil!" bellowed a voice that was neither male nor female, something far more evil.  
  
"That can't be the same person," Sonic whispered. "King?"  
  
"I don't think it is," said Blade. "I think it's a fusion of Satan and Crystal or something."  
  
But Sonic noticed something odd.  
  
"Blade, you're sinking, man!"  
  
It was true. The warrior noticed it now. He slowly began lowering to the earth, and his bright red glow was losing its luster.  
  
"What's happening to me?" he shouted.  
  
"It must be the Chaos Emeralds!" answered Sonic. "That dragon uses the Emeralds too, and this new transformation its got must be taking up too much energy! All three of us can't hold our Super forms!"  
  
"Damn it!" growled the warrior man. "Sonic, do your best. I know you don't need me to stop this thing." His voice was now barely audible. "Good luck, Sonic. We all…"  
  
That was it. He was too far away.  
  
"I know you can do it," Blade had said. If only Sonic knew that as well. This was a whole new beast, something out of every league his previous foes had been in. This was the Devil himself. Or, at least the Devil's right hand man/woman.  
  
He cracked his knuckles. The dragon screeched. It was time to go to work.  
  
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Tails couldn't help but stop for a second to watch the developments of the fight. Now it was Sonic against some big black monster. This was getting scary. He hated to admit it, but without that Blade guy helping out, Tails was losing faith in this fight.  
  
"Good luck, man," he whispered before he took off after the Master Emerald again.  
  
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To think, just a day or two ago she was this close to going on her first date with him. Now he stood even closer to his demise.  
  
Amy silently sobbed into her hands. She hated every one of these moments, and there had been a number of them. Times where Sonic had gone super and stood inches from death. Chaos…Biolizard…Metal Sonic…and now this hell spawn.  
  
It was a tiny, shimmering gold dot against a massive, charcoal black and fire red dragon. And Amy wasn't sure Sonic had a shot in this fight.  
  
Now she did something she hadn't done in a long, long time. The last time she had prayed was on September 11th, when she hoped Sonic wasn't near any of the crash sites. Now, she knelt down, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and began to pray.  
  
God, if you're out there and you can here me, please. If this is the Devil, only you can kill it. Please give Sonic your strength to defeat this monster. I know him almost as well as you, and he'd never ask for help, but he needs it now more than ever. Please…please!  
  
A tear slipped off her face onto her folded hands, down them, and finally hitting the ground.  
  
She made the sign of the cross and looked up, not getting out of a kneeling position. The last time she prayed, it had worked-Sonic had been near Manhattan island, but the massive amount of traffic had made him bored and he left just before the attacks. She could only hope it worked now.  
  
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Blade finally touched the ground and immediately got down on one knee. He placed his sword in the ground and stared at it.  
  
"What happened?!?" cried Vector. "What are you…"  
  
"Sonic can handle this on his own," Blade muttered. "He doesn't need me."  
  
"But-" began Mighty.  
  
"If he needs help," Blade retorted, "I'll go back up."  
  
That was the last anyone heard of Blade for a long while. Not that they wanted to hear him. They were too busy watching the incredible battle about to occur.  
  
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"Impressed, rodent?" cackled Crystal, flapping her wings.  
  
"If I was impressed," Sonic explained, "I'd have said something by now. New body, same old crap inside."  
  
"You continue to mock me? Fine, I shall show you my true strength!!"  
  
"That line is so old it's lost all meaning," Sonic groaned.  
  
Sonic cut towards the dragon, but he was swatted out of the air by one of its massive wings. He braced himself in mid air and zoomed back upward. He hit the bottom, but bounced off. The diamond scales were gone, but the new scales seemed to be made of steel or something. The dragon flapped its wings again, blowing Sonic even closer to the ground. In fact, Crystal continued flapping at high speeds, keeping Sonic from coming back. The hedgehog pushed with all his might against the torrent of wind. Finally, the dragon stopped and Sonic flew at top speed, surprised at his sudden movement. The dragon, though, put up its claws. Terrified, Sonic pulled up…  
  
"AAAAAHHHH!"  
  
…right into a beam of fire spewed from Crystal's mouth. 


	24. Chapter 45 And All Things Will End

Chapter 45  
  
And All Things Will End  
  
Just…hold…on…  
  
Finally, Sonic flew out of the fiery torrent. Even in his super form, he was susceptible to major strength, and he figured one of the universe's ultimate evils probably fell into that category. His arms were scarred up and down, his legs ached, and his face burned like nothing else. He growled, curled his fingers, and stared at the dragon.  
  
"Feels good, doesn't it hedgehog?" laughed the dragon.  
  
"Enough!" shouted Sonic. He shot towards the dragon, weaved past another puff of fire, and threw an uppercut to her neck. If it did anything, Crystal didn't show it. She simply lifted a colossal, decrepit claw and swiped at him. Sonic backed away just in time, then shot again into her neck. This time, he got a little reaction-she reeled back a bit before breathing another streak of fire in his direction. Sonic flew upward to avoid it, then quickly had to bend his body to avoid another fireball that came right at him. He tried then to attack from behind. He flew towards her tail, cut under it when Crystal tried to slap him with it, and smashed her back. Again, nothing. He got knocked away from the tail this time, though, and went careening towards where the Eggman base used to be. He planted on the ground with both feet and one hand and looked up at the dragon. She wasn't letting up-another fireball came streaking Sonic's way. Instead of flying, he ran away from it.  
  
Then, he had an idea.  
  
He sped over to Blade, slowly turning back to blue. He almost laughed at the startled look on the faces of Charmy, Espio, Amy, and the others.  
  
"Blade, I've got an idea. Go Super again. Here are the Emeralds."  
  
"Are you nuts, man?" the warrior asked. "You're the man here…"  
  
"Sonic, no!" cried Amy.  
  
Sonic could see another beam of fire coming from the dragon.  
  
"Blade NOW!!!!"  
  
He was already off, and in one quick blast he was Super again. He raced towards the red fireball and slapped it back at Crystal with his sword.  
  
"Sonic…" whispered Amy…  
  
"Amy," Sonic responded. He held her by the waist for a little comfort-for both of them. "I know I've done a lot of stupid things these last few days. You know it, too, and I'm sure everyone else here does, too. But out of all of those, when I think about it now, and I think about what you've done for me all my life, there's only one of them that I regret, that I wish I didn't do."  
  
She was silent, scared, as if she expected something terrible and great to happen at the same time.  
  
"The only thing I wish I didn't do," he continued, "is skipping out on that date with you."  
  
Amy's eyes widened.  
  
"I love you, Amy."  
  
He squeezed her tightly. She squeezed him back. And then, he was gone. He raced off to the dragon, to help Blade in some way.  
  
Although he was too far away to hear even if she shouted it, Amy answered back in a voice that was even inaudible to herself.  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
There it was, big and beautiful. The Master Emerald.  
  
Tails liked playing this "master thief" thing. First with the Chaos Emeralds and now this. It was fun! Well, this wasn't as fun, mainly because there wasn't anyone to escape. He simply swooped in, lifted the Emerald up, and flew back. Damn, this thing was heavy!  
  
He had to get back as fast as he could. Sonic, Blade, and everyone needed his help. Especially Knuckles, who needed this Emerald to power up.  
  
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"Okay, this'll be easy," Knuckles told everyone. "When Tails comes back, Charmy will fly me near that dragon and I'll neutralize the Chaos Emeralds with the Master Emerald. That dragon will be history.  
  
"That's not gonna work, Knuckles," Mighty responded.  
  
"Huh? What the hell do you mean, it's not gonna work???"  
  
"I mean, it ain't gonna work. First off, that dragon can stay alive without the Emeralds now. It's too strong, it can power itself now, so neutralizing the Emeralds will just screw Sonic and Blade. Second, you think that dragon is just gonna sit back and let you and Charm do something that could be dangerous to it?"  
  
"Grrr…" Knuckles growled. Of course, Mighty was right. He just couldn't believe he was so naïve to think that would work. "How'd you know that?"  
  
"I'll tell you when we're not about to die. You should use the Master Emerald," suggested Mighty, "to go Chaotix."  
  
Right again. Last time, he ran out of strength because he was too far from the Emerald.  
  
"Okay, Mighty. Hope you're right about this."  
  
"Of course I am," chuckled the armadillo.  
  
"Look, here he comes!" cheered Charmy.  
  
"Let's hurry up with that Emerald, Tails!" screamed Knuckles.  
  
Tails had an exhausted expression on his face as he flew…well, more like fell…to Knuckles with the Emerald. All right!  
  
Knuckles turned green much faster than before. It was still an amazing sight, though. The energy wave he caused when he turned Chaotix was so powerful it knocked Tails, Espio, and Amy over. It also bowled Vector over when Espio and Amy fell into him.  
  
Knuckles flew off to help in the fighting. Meanwhile, Mighty helped everyone else up. He smiled when he got to Amy.  
  
"I'd get off Vector as fast as I could," he chuckled. "Your boyfriend might not like it."  
  
Amy simply smiled as Mighty grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.  
  
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As Knuckles flew over to Crystal, angry and ready to settle a score, he had a revelation. What had Mighty just said?  
  
Well, among other things…  
  
"First off, that dragon can stay alive without the Emeralds now. It's too strong, it can power itself now, so neutralizing the Emeralds will just screw Sonic and Blade."  
  
That meant…  
  
"Sonic, what the hell are you doing??" he shouted. "Get Super!"  
  
"I can't!" cried the hedgehog as he ran with Knuckles to the dragon. "That thing is-"  
  
"-not using the Emerald anymore!" finished the echidna. "Mighty knows a lot about this stuff, and that thing isn't using the Emeralds anymore! Go for it!"  
  
Sonic shrugged and kept running, but Knuckles flew up to Blade, who was knocking away another fireball. "Toss the Emeralds down to Sonic, now! JUST DO IT!" he shouted when Blade was about to object. Instead of waiting, Knuckles pounded the warrior and knocked them out of his hands. Luckily, too, because a stream of fire was just about to hit Blade.  
  
"Now, Sonic!" shouted Knuckles.  
  
Sonic saw this development and jumped towards the Emeralds. He was about to come short, but Knuckles grabbed his arms and tossed him towards them. Sonic grabbed them and exploded in a column of gold energy.  
  
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Now THAT was a sight.  
  
Amy was getting everyone together for a short little prayer service for the late Big, who was now buried next to her, and the rest of the planet, when everyone's attention turned back to the fight.  
  
Gold, red, and green against black.  
  
"I've got it!" Amy cheered. "Everyone, follow me!"  
  
The others reluctantly followed Amy, muttering amongst themselves as she led them to…  
  
"I'm going no farther!" Vector shouted when he saw she was taking them to the massive dragon, who was spitting fire at the three heroes.  
  
"Just trust me!" cried Amy, waving them on. Tails knew what she was doing. Espio trusted her decision, but just barely. Mighty didn't care, as long it meant he got to fight a little more.  
  
"Sonic!" she called to them.  
  
The dragon instead answered. "Pests! Stay out of this!" It lifted its claws and began to charge two green balls inside of them. Amy was terrified. This wasn't supposed to happen.  
  
"SONIC!"  
  
The beams fired towards them. The group was too scared to move.  
  
They didn't have to.  
  
When the beam hit, it spread around them and did nothing.  
  
"What the hell?" asked Vector. His body was surrounded in red, although he himself was still green. He began to rise in the air.  
  
"Awesome!" cheered Charmy, who was surrounded in red as well. "I'm not flying, but I'm still flying!"  
  
"This power…is incredible," muttered Espio. He and Mighty were shrouded in green and floating higher and higher again.  
  
"Sonic!" cheered Amy and Tails together. They both rose in shields of gold.  
  
Blade had Vector and Charmy at his sides, Knuckles had Mighty and Espio, and Sonic had Tails and Amy. Crystal was infuriated, and probably scared as well.  
  
"This is not the way it was meant to be!" she screamed. "This was a battle of two greats! Nothing more!"  
  
"Will you just shut up?" Knuckles answered back.  
  
"This isn't just about two forces of good and evil," called Blade.  
  
"It's about our home, and us kicking the crap out of anyone who tries to destroy it," muttered Sonic.  
  
The six whom they had just brought up cheered.  
  
The angry Crystal blasted beams all over the place, spit fire, and swiped her claws to kill the nine.  
  
All of them dodged the blasts. Tails barely got nicked by one, but it did almost no damage.  
  
Vector was about to get burned, but Blade swooped over, pushed him out of the way, and slashed the fireball away. Everyone else weaved in and out of the attacks and took advantage of the misses by pelting Crystal with their own bodies. The dragon roared in pain.  
  
After that flurry, coupled with the attacks on her own body, Crystal was slowly sinking to the ground. She could no longer power herself alone and there was no strength left in the Chaos Emeralds.  
  
"Now guys," Sonic called. All nine of them assembled in one group and shook like crazy. They gathered as much strength from the eight Emeralds as possible. If Crystal's dragon face could've showed true expression, it would show true fear.  
  
"GOOO!" called all nine at once.  
  
All of them swooped in towards Crystal, flying in and out, back and forth, and drilled her with their super bodies. The nine heroes yelled various battle cries among Crystal's moans and screams.  
  
"No! NOOOO!!!"  
  
Then, something happened. Something that could've been a turning point.  
  
"I can…bring her back…!"  
  
The comment was obviously directed towards Blade. Anyone else might have considered it for too long. He didn't.  
  
"I make a point of making no deals with the devil!" he shouted as he slashed his sword into her side. "Only I can bring her back!!"  
  
Finally, the nine were tired, and they floated back together. Scars dotted Crystal's body all over.  
  
"Guys," Sonic told the others, "we'll take it from here."  
  
The six whom they brought up slowly floated to the ground. Crystal was in too much pain to make any comments, or say anything.  
  
Sonic, Blade, and Knuckles stared at the dragon with no mercy in their eyes.  
  
"You ruined our lives," Knuckles growled.  
  
"Now we're gonna end yours," Blade continued.  
  
"With your own strength," Sonic finished.  
  
The three spun into a triangle-shaped figure and began to spin around each other. The Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald floated in the center of them. A blue ball appeared in front of them and only grew bigger. Those on the ground looked on in hope. This was the last shot-it would sap all the strength from all the Emeralds. If it didn't work, it was over, because even in Crystal's weakened state, she could recover.  
  
The ball got bigger. Crystal couldn't even move she was so tired.  
  
Finally, the ball was bigger than the group of three themselves. It was time.  
  
"BLAST AWAY!" Sonic shouted.   
  
The three flung their arms back and released the beam. A single, sleek streak of blue headed right for Crystal. The dragon gasped, which was the worst thing she could have done. The beam shot straight through her mouth and appeared again at the other end, blasting through the end of her tail. After a few seconds of the beam simply piercing her dragon body, Crystal began shaking violently.  
  
A bolt of lightning struck!  
  
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Did it work?  
  
That's what everyone on the ground wanted to know. Amy was frightened that it hadn't, that Sonic and the crew was out of strength, that Crystal had won.  
  
"Please God…"  
  
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The military rescue team couldn't see exactly what was going on, but they all knew something big was going on. And even if Sonic was guilty of all these murders, and all those other crimes, he was going to do it again. He was going to save the world.  
  
"Damn, this is gonna make us look real bad if he wins," General Ramsey muttered. "And who the hell are those other guys?"  
  
Then, he secretly began praying to himself.  
  
"Please God…"  
  
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Sonic awoke. There was no dragon, no black sky, no lightning.  
  
"He's awake!" whispered a familiar voice. It was Amy.  
  
"You're alive! I was so worried about you!"  
  
"C'mon…" But Sonic saw tears down her cheeks and bags under her eyes. She had been up forever, it seemed.  
  
"You won," she said, now quieting even more.  
  
"Nice job, Sonic," joined Tails. He stood just in the corner of Sonic's eye.  
  
"Knuckles, Blade and Rouge and Espio are in other rooms."  
  
"So…they happy to see the dead guy livin'?" laughed Sonic weakly.  
  
"Well, RaGiff was freaking out," the fox responded.  
  
"How 'bout the fuzz?"  
  
Tails' grin disappeared.  
  
"Aw, man…"  
  
"They dropped the murder charge, but they're keeping the terrorist attacks. And…they've got you for killing Eggman."  
  
"What?" Sonic cried, then lied back down again, tired and wounded. "Well, how about you guys then?"  
  
"Tails and I are both clean. Rouge is in some serious trouble with her military pals, though," Amy chuckled.  
  
"Heh heh heh…" Sonic laughed before slowly falling back asleep.  
  
As he drifted off, he few a couple last words. "Sonic…plan…Leo…love…okay…Mobius…" 


	25. Chapter 46 Going Home

Thanks to those who have sent me examples of Sonic artwork. As for everyone else, please e-mail me at SUPASONEC@aol.com with examples that pertain to this story. And this isn't the last chapter.  
  
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Chapter 46  
  
Going Home  
  
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Of course, despite Sonic and his friends' heroic effort, the law was the law, even though no one thought it fair, not even the police.  
  
The murder charge was dropped when the police saw Knuckles, but a new one came in its place: assault. As much as Knuckles pleaded and insisted Sonic had not harmed him, the written confession was simply too much evidence to turn away, the police said. Apparently, Crystal had possessed Sonic at that time and written it out. Figured.  
  
And, without any evidence to refute it, the terroristic attacks charge remained, which was worse than the murder one. Police still blamed the missile attack on Sonic. Sonic blamed it on Crystal. She had said it herself that she was the cause to all his problems.  
  
Tails was considered for a murder charge as well, the murder of Dr. Eggman. This was because, during a testimony, Rouge had mentioned something about Tails fixing up Metal Sonic, and when the battlefield was later inspected, Dr. Eggman's blood was found on Metal Sonic, for some reason. However, the charge was dropped when it was discovered that every robot in the immediate area, and most of the robot parts that had been blown to pieces, had a drop or two of Eggman's blood, and they concluded Tails could not have done all of that, and they had no other evidence to old that against him. Besides, he probably got killed by the dragon.  
  
Amy's charge of assisting a deadly criminal was dropped because the police, feeling they owed something to the group, claimed Amy had been "seduced" by Sonic to perform criminal activity.  
  
Blade was initially going to be arrested for violating a direct government order, but it was soon found that not the President nor any member of government had written that order but Rouge. His charge was dropped while Rouge was charged with impersonating a government official, among various other military violations. There was almost no way for her to get out of her crimes.  
  
Knuckles was thoroughly questioned about his experience, but before officials could throw him in an insane asylum, Tails said he'd take care of the "insane rodent." The police approved it without question.  
  
Luckily, no one was accused of Big's death. After the autopsy, the police confirmed it was, in fact, a stabbing death. They attributed it, again, to the dragon's claws.  
  
Before Sonic got into the courtroom for the opening arguments, his friends tried to give him support. Sonic had, in fact, been stuck with a pro bono lawyer.  
  
"Don't worry, Sonic, we'll get ya outta here," whispered Tails as Sonic was led in.  
  
"You can count on us," agreed Amy.  
  
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They couldn't do anything.  
  
When Amy testified, she accidentally mentioned that Sonic had mentioned numerous times how much he wanted to throttle, "that lazy, useless echidna." Knuckles was not allowed to testify because he had recently been labeled "legally insane" thanks to his "dimension 8.75" story. Blade made as much of an effort as possible to clear Sonic's name ("This guy has saved your planet dozens of times, and you still think he's a killer?"), but it was hard to believe his testimony because he was considered a "freelance" worker from another planet who wouldn't know enough about the situation. Sonic's lawyer was simply too inexperienced to perform in this kind of case, and he neglected to ask any case-turning questions.  
  
So there Sonic laid in his cot, just three weeks after the dragon incident had occurred. He now tried to count the number of specks on the rock ceiling, for there was nothing else to do but wait. The last date of his trial was tomorrow, and so far there was nothing that would keep him from being arrested. Tails was his only hope, but the opposing lawyer would probably just play it safe to him and keep his current score with the jury. Sonic sighed. Wasn't he just in this position three weeks ago, when he was caught by none other than Blade?  
  
He had gotten a couple letters from fans telling him to hang tough, two from Tails, one from Blade, and one from Amy, a beautiful floral letter expressing her thanks for everything he had done for her throughout each of their lives, from the Little Planet to Earth. It was signed, "Love, Amy." Sonic smiled when he read that note. It was probably the first time he hadn't been peeved by Amy's crush on him. In fact, he now embraced it.  
  
Although that may have been his most special letter, the most important was from Blade. But Sonic wondered if what the bounty hunter had said in the letter was true. Could they pull off the biggest upset of all?  
  
"Get up, hedgehog," growled a security guard outside his cell. Sonic was up quick as a blink of an eye. The officer was tall and apparently strong. He wore his hat tightly on his head and a slick pair of sunglasses. This guy, Sonic thought, is what I'd be like if I was a cop.  
  
"You have a visitor waiting for you outside. Follow me," he said, motioning down the hallway. Sonic followed, considering Blade's idea.  
  
It was about halfway through their little walk that Sonic realized this wasn't the right way. The visitor's hall was on the last right, but the officer had walked right past it. Sonic was about to say something when the cop stopped in front of two other guards, apparently blocking another doorway.  
  
"What's with the rodent?" grumbled one of them, a smaller one.  
  
"I have orders to take the convict with me. It is a special visit with his lawyer and probation officer."  
  
"Orders were not to let that thing out of this place under no circumstances," sneered the other one. He was as tall as Sonic's officer, but not quite as muscular.  
  
The officer who had led Sonic out got right in the tall one's face.  
  
"I have special orders from military general Ramsey to bring this hedgehog out of here. Move or I'll have to get violent."  
  
The other one didn't seem fazed.  
  
"I move for no one 'less they got written permission from one of the upper guys."  
  
Sonic's officer backed away, supposedly giving up. Then, he padded his back.  
  
"Okay, I've got it here somewhere…"  
  
In an instant, the officer had both guards with their hands over their heads. He had pulled out an all too-familiar sword on them. Sonic grinned.  
  
"I seem to have lost it," Blade muttered. "Could you please let us through anyway?"  
  
"S-s-should've known it was yous," stammered the smaller one, slowly opening the door for Sonic and Blade. "I s-s-s-saw some weird lookin' c-car out there…"  
  
Blade raised a finger. "But you didn't know. And that's why I'm successful and you're an underpaid loser." And with that, Sonic and Blade sprinted for the War Machine.  
  
Behind them, the two cops had pulled out their guns. An alarm began blaring outside. Blade popped open the cockpit of the black War Machine, which was already filled with nearly every person Sonic had come in contact with in the last three weeks.  
  
"You made it!" cheered Tails.  
  
"Took ya long enough," laughed Knuckles.  
  
"No time, we ain't outta here yet," said Blade coolly. He shut the door the moment Sonic had jammed himself between Amy and Tails.  
  
Outside, the group heard the sounds of metal hitting metal.  
  
"I'm gonna need a new paint job when I get back," Blade growled as he pulled a control back. The car began to fly higher and higher. He had been recharging the machine for all three weeks, so he had plenty of energy now. Eventually, the car got high enough that the group could see thousands of people in the city below staring and pointing at them.  
  
"Can't believe you pulled that off, man," chuckled Sonic once the shooting from below had stopped.  
  
"Neither can I," laughed RaGiff from the monitor. "Nice seein' you again, blue."  
  
"And I get no greetings?" Blade mock accused.  
  
"Your greetings' gonna come when I fix that thing up for you. What you been doin' to my baby?" He then began a conversation with the car. "Did big bad Leo bust you up, baby?"  
  
"This is why you don't have a girl yet, 'Giff," joked Blade. The group all laughed, even RaGiff.  
  
"So now what're we doin'?" asked Sonic. He knew this part of the plan from the letter, he just wasn't sure what was going to happen next.  
  
"What're we doing, we're going to dock in the mobile station RaGiff sent out for us, then take a carrier ship home."  
  
"Home?"  
  
"Yes, home. I'm takin' all you guys back to Mobius."  
  
The mass of people cheered behind Blade and Mighty, who got the co-pilot's seat.  
  
"Ah man, Mobius," Sonic sighed. "It's been years, man, it's been years."  
  
"Whatcha gonna do when you get back?" asked Knuckles.  
  
"What? Ain't you comin' with me Red?"  
  
"Well yeah, but not for long. I'm headed back to the real Floating Island." He held up a minimized Master Emerald.  
  
"One track mind, Red, one track mind." The two slapped five, glad to be pals again. "You're gonna have to start all over again, Tails. Y'know, with the workshop and all…"  
  
"No big deal," responded the fox. "I've been meaning to start on some new stuff anyway, and that old workshop was too small. I'm making a nice, big one now."  
  
Sonic nodded. "And you guys?" he said, turning to Mighty, Vector, Espio, and Charmy.  
  
"I'm buyin' the new Mesh…er, I mean, Modern Day Zero album," chuckled Vector, looking at RaGiff."  
  
"Wonderful," Sonic moaned. "And after that?"  
  
"Hadn't thought that far," the crocodile joked. He got a few laughs. "Well, now that Mighty's not training anymore by himself," he thought, "we were gonna let him join the Chaotix Detective Agency."  
  
Sonic laughed. "THAT'S what you guys are, detectives?"  
  
"Don't you be dissin' us, we're the best in the biz."  
  
"Sure," Sonic chortled. "And how about my man Blade?"  
  
His face fell for just a second, then smiled again.  
  
"Actually," he hinted, "there may be something you can help me with."  
  
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The weasel smiled evilly as he paced around his room.  
  
"It's about time," Fang laughed. "It's been years since I heard from that guy, and today he calls, telling me the money will be here soon. Ooooohhhh, fifty million Mobians. Heh heh heh…"  
  
He walked into a dark room and turned on the lights. A young woman of about twenty moved her dark brown hair and opened her eyes.  
  
"What now?" she groaned weakly.  
  
"Lucky, lucky you. Your boyfriend called today. You'll be going home shortly, although I must say he mustn't care for you too much if he waited close to three years to save you." Fang left the room laughing. Cassie's heart was hopeful. Was this really it? Why had it been so long? And where had he gotten all the money? She couldn't wait.  
  
The doorbell rang. Fang scampered to the door and opened it.  
  
"Got a big package here today, Mr. Weasel," gasped the mailman, dropping a large box and a couple other letters onto Fang's door.  
  
"I thought I told you I changed my name. I am Fang the freakin' Sniper, you dolt!"  
  
"Guess I'm not getting tipped," murmured the policeman as he walked out of the house. "By the way," he mentioned on his way out, "you should really do something about those animals. They're always around your house."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," growled Fang as he slammed the door. Greedily, he ripped open the package.  
  
But there was no money in it.  
  
"WHAAAAAT????"  
  
Fang's shout was loud enough to be heard in the next zip code. There was a note, though.   
  
"Now we're even."  
  
What the hell…?  
  
Fang snapped his head around and pulled out his pistol just as he heard a crashing noise behind him. There was that blue hedgehog again. He had just knocked down his door! He'd pay for that!  
  
"Thought you could pull one over on ol' Fang, didn't ya Sonic?" laughed Fang. Sonic hadn't expected this one. Fang was getting faster. "Well, I don't know why you're here, but you're gonna pay big for busting up mah door. Where's Meester Leo O'Connell?"  
  
"The real question," growled a voice who had just entered the room, "is where's Miss Cassie Nekida?"  
  
Fang dropped his gun and held up his hands. Blade kept his sword against the weasel's back. "That wasn't a rhetorical question!" he shouted.  
  
"S-s-she's in the back room, 's like she been for years. You's a dirty fighter, Meester Leo, a dirty fighter…"  
  
"Look who's talking. Kidnapping an innocent woman and taking three years of her life away is the worst kind of fighting. Call the cops, Sonic. There's a quick dial button for them in the car. Take this pig with you."  
  
Sonic nodded and ran off for the War Machine with Fang in hand. Blade turned and entered the back room.  
  
The two stared at each other for what seemed like forever.  
  
"Le…Leo?" whispered Cassie.  
  
Blade nodded.  
  
She smiled so big it seemed to take up her whole face. She tried to get up but he collapsed from exhaustion. She was slender from lack of food. Blade ran to her and hugged and kissed her. How long he had waited to see her face again, and vice versa.  
  
"Time to get you out of here," Blade muttered in her ear. He felt her head nod. Blade helped her up and led her out the door to the exit of the house…  
  
"Glad you could join us, Meester Leo and Meeses Cassie," sneered Fang. He had Tails in a headlock outside the War Machine and a gun to his head. The fox struggled like nothing else, but could not get free. He wore a terrified expression on his face. The others seemed to be trapped inside the car. For some reason, they couldn't find a way out. They were banging on the window.  
  
"Now hand over the meeses 'n drop your sword 'n I won't hafta blow this fine young man's head open, hear?"  
  
But while Fang was busy bragging, Blade had taken careful aim and thrown his sword holster first at Fang's gun. The sword and the gun popped into the air. Blade jumped and grabbed the gun while the sword stabbed into the side of the War Machine. Blade pointed the gun at Fang, who instinctively had his hands up.  
  
"You made me wreck my car."  
  
At that moment, police sirens began blaring from far away. Blade just smiled.  
  
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"Whoee, man, that was something!" laughed Sonic. "Man, Knux's gonna be pissed off he missed that!"  
  
Blade paid no attention. He was talking with Cassie up front, and rightfully so. Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Mighty had come on the trip. The other three Chaotix members were fixing up the office, and Knuckles had returned to his post on Floating Island.  
  
"But now what?" Sonic said to no one in particular. "I've got nothin' to do now, and I hate it! You got any ideas, Tails? Mighty?"  
  
Tails and Mighty remained silent. But Amy leaned her head onto Sonic's shoulder. Sonic instinctively joined her by laying his head on hers. The two smiled and shut their eyes.  
  
"I've got an idea," Amy whispered.  
  
Sonic just smiled. 


	26. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
The bus was headed to the stop at Vance Street. Leo O'Connell had two stops left before he was there.  
  
"C'mon, stupid friggin' bus driver, I'm gonna be late," muttered the young warrior in the back of the bus, tapping his watch as if doing so would speed things up. Cassie had told him to come in her car, but he wasn't done tying his tie, so she left without him. Eventually, the frustrated Leo forgot the tie and left anyway, taking the bus because the War Machine was in RaGiff's lab. (He had decided that, now that he was taking a break from fighting, he would go by his usual name. But once he started training again, he would be Blade Kasille once more.)  
  
"Do I know you?" the old bus driver asked from up front in an equally old voice.  
  
"No," Leo answered flatly. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm late for a wedding and-"  
  
"A weeding?" crooned the old man. "Well, why didn't ya say so? I love weddin's!"  
  
Before Leo could say anything, the bus lurched forward and started going at twice the speed as before. They sped past two stops full of confused and angry people, and finally stopped right in front of the church.  
  
"There ya go, young man," called the bus driver back to an astonished Leo. After he took a second to recover himself, he ran up to the front.  
  
"Thanks," he said, putting a whole dollar in a box labeled "Tips."  
  
"No problem, suh. Hope it's not yours, or you're screwed."  
  
Leo feigned a chuckle as he dashed off the bus. He didn't play a vital role at the wedding, but he was still needed, in a way. He had been hired out for security detail, instead of paying for a whole team.  
  
Once inside, Leo sat down in a chair in the vestibule. Through the wood and glass door, he could see RaGiff, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Mighty, Rouge, and a couple other people and animals Leo didn't know sitting in the pews. Standing up in the back were Tails and a rabbit whom Leo had also never met. He assumed these were the best man and woman. Knuckles stood closer to the altar, supposedly the ring bearer. And there, up front with the priest, was the lucky couple. Blade smiled.  
  
"You made it!" whispered a voice behind him. He whirled around to face Cassie.  
  
"'Course I did," he responded. The two kissed quickly. "Why were you back there? And what's on your face? It's right by your lip."  
  
"Oh, still?" she moaned. "That armadillo said there was something there and I just went back to try and clean it off. What does it look like?"  
  
"Looks a bit like chocolate. You weren't sneaking in a snack, were you?"  
  
"No! I'll just have to live with it for now. You sure you have to stay back here, can't you come up with me?"  
  
"Sorry, Sonic wants me back here keeping an eye on things. He has a habit of attracting trouble, so he needs me to bail his ass out occasionally."  
  
Cassie smiled. "His ass must be lucky to have someone like you guarding it. See you afterwards," she said after hugging him. She ducked back into the church.  
  
The priest had been droning on for a while-there were speakers in the vestibule that let Leo hear what was going on during the service.  
  
"…through sickness and through hard times, until the end of their life?"  
  
"I do," spoke the voice of Sonic, dressed in a nice tuxedo, at least for his budget. Come to think of it, everyone looked nice as far as Leo could see. Amy's wedding gown looked good, too. Cassie would look good in something like that…but with all the money he had saved, he'd need something better.  
  
"And do you, Amy Rose of Knothole…"  
  
Suddenly, Blade heard a beep on his cell phone. It was a walkie-talkie message. Who the…  
  
"RaGiff," he growled into it when he picked it up. "What are you doing?"  
  
"This thing's boring, man! When's it over?"  
  
"They're saying the vows now, it can't be much longer."  
  
"Fine, but I've got you in one on one when we get to the reception."  
  
"Sorry, I gotta make sure the entertainment gets there alright. That is, if Knux remembered to get some."  
  
"Fine, whatever. You so boring now, we used to have fun, man, you remember-"  
  
"Shut up, 'Giff, something's going on."  
  
"The ring, please," droned the priest.  
  
Through the glass, Leo could see Knuckles start, surprised. He jammed one hand into his pocket, then into the other. Soon, he began to frantically pad himself down all over his tuxedo.  
  
"Jeeez, man, the echidna forgot the ring," laughed RaGiff.  
  
"Shut up man, we're screwed if he don't have that ring! Do something!"  
  
"Like what, man?"  
  
"I got it, create a distraction, then throw a ring to him."  
  
"What ring?"  
  
"I don't know, how about one of the god only knows how many on your fingers."  
  
"Oh yeaaah."  
  
Instantly, Leo saw something fly through the air and crash through the window. Screams echoed throughout the church. He then saw RaGiff toss Knuckles a particularly nice ring that he had been wearing. Knuckles pocketed the ring and watched the commotion.  
  
Immediately remembering his role as security, Leo marched into the church with a mock furious face on. He stomped up to RaGiff and grabbed him by the wrist.  
  
"What the hell, man…?" RaGiff asked, freaked out until he saw the look in Leo's eye. He then slowly began to smile.  
  
"What the hell you doin' to me, man?" RaGiff exploded as Blade dragged him across the floor. On the altar, Leo could see Sonic smack his face with his hand and slowly begin to shake it left to right. RaGiff, though, continued to yell. "Oh, oh, oh, I see how it is here, man, it's cuz I'm a black man, ain't it? Uh huh, that's it, man. If'n I waz a white boy, this wouldn't be happenin' here, would it? Nu uh, no way, man! Y'know what, white man, I got me some good lawyers and they gonna rip you and your chillun apart, man! You hear me, I'm a smart man, I can get stuff done, man!" The whole time, Leo barely kept a smile from cracking his lips.  
  
Just before the door shut on RaGiff, who was truly hamming it up, he let out one last yell of, "I will eat your children!" before it slammed shut.  
  
Once it was shut, and once Leo had dragged RaGiff over behind a wall where no one could see them, the two began cracking up like nothing else.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Up on the altar, it looked like Amy was about to cry. Sonic was, too, but not because he was sad. He thought the episode was funnier than any episode of Seinfeld he had every seen.  
  
"Ahem," the priest coughed. "The ring, please."  
  
"Oh yeah," Knuckles said quickly, and he pulled out the ring and shoved it into Sonic's hand, winking. Sonic winked back, then turned and slowly placed it on Amy's finger. Afterwards, the two faced each other and smiled a loving smile.  
  
"I now pronounce you husband, and wife," announced the priest. He then said quietly to Sonic, "You may kiss the bride."  
  
Sonic and Amy then proceeded to kiss for a full minute. The whole while, the crowd below them clapped and cheered, hooted and hollered.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
On the way to the reception, as Sonic and Amy talked in the car, the driver stopped, and turned to face Sonic.  
  
"You have a call, Mr. Sonic," muttered the driver. Sonic took the phone from his hands and put it to his head.  
  
"Talk to me."  
  
"It's me," Leo's voice responded.  
  
Sonic immediately began laughing. After a good minute of cracking up, he returned to the phone.  
  
"Man, that was something. Anyway, what's up?"  
  
"Bad news, man. The restaurant overbooked."  
  
"Aw, too bad. Looks like Knuckles will have to eat something other than McDonalds, then."  
  
"No, OUR restaurant."  
  
Sonic froze on the spot.  
  
"Our restaurant. The one Vector was supposed to get us."  
  
"Yes, that one. Apparently, Vector neglected to leave the $10 holding fee for it, and they dropped our name."  
  
"Holy crap."  
  
"What's wrong, Sonic?" Amy asked, curiously.  
  
"Nothing. Just a story Leo's tellin' me," Sonic insisted. He returned to the phone."  
  
"Okay, so now what?"  
  
"We can go to my place, if you want."  
  
"I thought your place sucked."  
  
"Nope. Got myself a new pad. That fifty million has just been growing in the bank, and I got myself a sweet little place."  
  
"It better be sweet. Where is it?"  
  
"It's on Ensemble Avenue. You'll see it when you get there, I'll have a sign up."  
  
"Good. Later."  
  
Sonic handed the phone back to the driver, who took it with one hand.  
  
"What was that all about?" Amy asked.  
  
"You know we're going to Ensemble Avenue, right?" Sonic told the driver. The driver looked a bit startled, but recovered quickly.  
  
"I do now, sir."  
  
Amy leaned over to Sonic. "I thought we were going to the Drafting Room for the reception!" she whispered.  
  
"I said that?" Sonic responded. "Nope…no, I think I said we were going to Leo's place for the reception and I was gonna take you to the Drafting Room before our honeymoon."  
  
Amy thought about it.  
  
"Okay, maybe I was mistaken."  
  
"Don't worry, Leo's place is twice as good as the restaurant," Sonic insisted. He added a silent "I hope," to himself.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
But Leo wasn't lying. The new house was killer. It was like a mini-mansion. He had a pool, two big screen TVs with the intergalactic satellite RaGiff had built, and a stage he had brought in for the entertainment.  
  
Speaking of entertainment…  
  
"Leo," Knuckles ran up to Leo, panting. "I forgot the talent."  
  
"I knew you'd blow it," he growled.  
  
"Ya gotta help me out, man. Please?" Knuckles looked desperate.  
  
"You've really screwed up today, man. I'll try. What kind?"  
  
"Musical and comedic."  
  
"You couldn't get EITHER one? Geez, I don't know if I can even do that, but I'll try."  
  
"Thank you so freakin' much. I owe you one."  
  
"You owe me five for this one, man." Knuckles nodded and walked off casually to talk with Espio, who was giving a dramatic retelling of how he survived a point-blank gunshot during the battle on Earth.  
  
Sonic walked up to Leo, holding a soda. "What was that all about?"  
  
"Ah, nothing. Just a question about the entertainment."  
  
"He forgot it, didn't he?" Sonic predicted. Leo just nodded.  
  
"Don't worry, though. I'll find us something."  
  
"Hope so, man. Hope so."  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," Leo spoke into the microphone to get everyone's attention. Everybody turned. A couple people yelled, "YEAH BLADE!" Those were some of Leo's army buddies, slightly drunk. Leo smiled, then continued. "We have a very special comedic performance today. Could you please put your hands together for…" He paused, nervous. "…the comical stylings of…" He gulped.  
  
"…RaGiff Griffin."  
  
The crowd was about to clap, then stopped, confused. Leo quickly ran offstage. The curtain rose to reveal RaGiff, in a terrible showbiz like pose and wearing a big, stupid smile.  
  
A couple nervous coughs from the crowd. One of the army people yelled, "YOU SUCK!" RaGiff's expression didn't change for a few seconds.  
  
"What happened to Eddie Izzard?" hissed Amy.  
  
"Um…" Sonic started. "His bus…er…blew up. But don't worry, RaGiff's a funny guy. Blade told me he's wanted to do stand up for ages. He's supposed to be hilarious."  
  
"Yo momma's so fat," RaGiff called to the crowd, "a button blew off her jeans and killed a guy!"  
  
Silence.  
  
Amy sighed. It was going to be a long day.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Okay, got the comedic talent…kind of. Now he needed some music. It had been about a half hour since RaGiff had started.  
  
"Vector!" Leo hissed to the crocodile. Vector turned and slowly walked over to him.  
  
"Why'd you have to interrupt me?" Vector growled. "This guy is great! I loved the yo momma crack with the jeans!"  
  
"Uh…sure Vector, sure. Listen, you, Espio, Charmy, and Mighty feel like playing something?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Good, cuz you're on right after RaGiff."  
  
"What??"  
  
At that instant, the boos began to rain down on RaGiff. People began throwing stuff onstage and yelling notorious, four letter words in his direction. The objects thrown on started with a ping-pong ball, then got as big as a dictionary-sized book.  
  
"And from the looks of it, he's gonna be off soon. Hurry up, before he gets hurt."  
  
"But we don't have any instruments!"  
  
"I don't care, just sing something! Stall 'em!"  
  
"Okay." Vector ran over and talked it over with the other guys. Although Mighty apparently wasn't happy about being interrupted from throwing a particularly large peach at RaGiff, they all brightened up at the idea of performing live. They quickly sprinted through the crowd. Needing a break, Leo walked to the front yard. Sonic was there, too.  
  
"Sorry, man," Leo tried to console.  
  
"Not your fault," Sonic responded. "Still…I wish things had gone better."  
  
"She still loves ya, right?"  
  
Cassie walked in from the front door. "What's up, guys?"  
  
"Sonic's upset 'bout the wedding," Leo responded.  
  
Cassie's face fell. "I'd try to console you, but right now you'd better go help RaGiff. They've tied him to a stake and they're looking for a match."  
  
Before Leo could answer, a bus pulled up and honked. Sonic and Leo ran up to it. Vector had heard the honking and joined them.  
  
"Hey Leo, man, we don't have any-" He stopped when he saw Leo was talking to someone in the bus who looked like a complete goth.  
  
"Dude, you know where the Wachovia Center is?" asked one of the guys. "We're doing a show there, and we-"  
  
"Oh man," Vector cried. "You're Matt Shadows!"  
  
The young man in the bus smiled. "Yep. You want an autograph or something?"  
  
"Wait, you know this guy?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Heck ya! He's the singer for Avenged Sevenfold!"  
  
Matt smiled, pleased that he had a fan.  
  
"Wait, you're a band? You've got a band in there?" Leo asked hurriedly. He had to go get RaGiff down from that stake.  
  
"Yep. We're,"  
  
"You know what you are? You're my freakin' savior!" Sonic yelled. "Can you play here?"  
  
"Sure. When you wanna sign us up for? We'll be in town 'til-"  
  
"NOW!" Sonic shouted at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Dude, Matt, what the hell's goin' on out here?" asked another guy with particularly long hair inside the bus. "How long does it take to get directions around here?"  
  
"Calm down, Zacky," Matt told him.  
  
"Please man, we need you," Sonic begged. "We need a musical act for a wedding reception!"  
  
"I don't know," Matt responded. "We're going to be a bit late as it is…"  
  
"Wait, hold on," said another voice. A tall, scraggly looking man with a beard appeared. "I know you! You're Sonic the Hedgehog, aren't you?"  
  
"Well…yeah!"  
  
"Dude, you're the man!" shouted the third guy. "I'm Sylvester Gates, but call me Synyster, man. Can I get your autograph?"  
  
"I seriously need a favor. Can you guys play for us?" Sonic pleaded.  
  
"Well…" Matt considered.  
  
"Hell yeah!" Synyster cried. "Anything for you, my man! C'mon guys, we're doin' a warm-up gig!"  
  
The bus' motor stopped, and Matt, Synyster, Zacky, and one other guy walked out and opened the trunk. Another guy, still in the car, helped get the stuff out. As they passed by, they introduced themselves.  
  
"Matt Shadows, you know me. I'm the vocalist here."  
  
"'sup. I'm Zacky Vengeance. I play guitar. Nice to get some practice in."  
  
"I'm Synyster Gates, I play guitar. 's an honor to play for you Mr. Sonic."  
  
"I'm Johnny Christ, the bassist." He slapped Sonic five, but the hedgehog was just confused by the name.  
  
"Hey, it's the Rev. I'm the drummer."  
  
"The Rev?" Leo asked.  
  
"Yeah, short for the Reverend."  
  
The band walked to the back, carrying their equipment. Before he disappeared behind the house, Rev turned around. "You might wanna control the fans here. They look like they're gonna hang this one black dude."  
  
Leo sprinted to the back, Cassie following him. Sonic turned to Vector. "The Reverend? Johnny Christ?"  
  
"They've got mock religious names," the crocodile explained.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Actually, once Leo helped out RaGiff and Avenged Sevenfold got onstage, the reception went nicely. While the band rocked on and got the crowd going with their best metal hits, Sonic and Amy slipped away into Leo's house and the two laid down on the couch together.  
  
"I am so, so sorry for today," Sonic apologized, hoping Amy could forgive him for this disaster of a wedding day.  
  
Amy simply laughed.  
  
"You kidding? This was awesome! It was hilarious! And plus, you got one really awesome band! This was a great day!"  
  
She pushed her head closer to his. "And we're together now. We can do whatever we want, whenever we want. Together."  
  
Sonic smiled and kissed her on the top of her head.  
  
"So, when're we leaving for the honeymoon?" she asked.  
  
"As soon as RaGiff lets me borrow the War Machine," Sonic responded.  
  
The two laughed. Then, Sonic became serious.  
  
"Whenever, and wherever you want, Amy."  
  
She thought for a minute. "Mm…I've always wanted to go to Chrostoff." (Chrostoff is the third moon of Mobius)  
  
"And after that, we can go back to Mobius and find us a great house," Sonic told her. "A big 'ol house, with everything you ever wanted…"  
  
"Yeah," Amy said. "But first, I gotta get the rest of my clothes from upstairs." Sonic and the others had all their clothes and stuff packed into the War Machine's trunk. They had more room for it when they got into the carrier. "This gown I picked out is so uncomfortable."  
  
"Well, I'll buy you something great," Sonic consoled, wondering where he was gonna get all this money. But he'd figure out a way. "A great outfit that'll make you even more beautiful than you already are."  
  
"Well, it doesn't have to be that good," she insisted. "Just something that doesn't give me a major wedgie whenever I sit down," she joked.  
  
Sonic sighed happily and nestled her head closer to his. She made a happy sound as well, shut her eyes, and smiled. Sonic squeezed her tighter.  
  
And that was the way it was for the rest of the night. While the guests came, went, and partied outside, Leo's house was all to the two hedgehogs. And they spent that night whispering sweet things in each other's ears, talking of the future, and spending time with their loved one.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Outside, while the rest of the party-goers, some invited and most not, rocked out with the band, Leo and Cassie watched through the glass window. They were the only two looking at Sonic and Amy.  
  
"Aww…that's so sweet," Cassie sighed. Leo turned to her. She looked so much better and happier than she did on Mobius, but that wasn't too hard. But she was still stunning. Her dark brown hair was combed down so it flowed when she walked, and she was wearing a beautiful blue blouse with a black mini-skirt that came with the blouse.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Leo responded. He wore a simple tux.  
  
"Oh come on! Tell me you don't think that's great. They love each other!" she tried to convince him. Leo shook his head.  
  
"I guess."  
  
"And speaking of which…What's gonna happen with us?" she hinted, moving closer to him.  
  
Leo grinned. "What are you saying?"  
  
"Well, you know," Cassie explained. "With us. What are we gonna do?"  
  
"Oh, thaaaaat," he said, acting like he had just uncovered some life-changing revelation.  
  
"Stop it!" she laughed back, showing her perfect white teeth. Leo smiled back.  
  
"Stop what?"  
  
"Stop teasing me."  
  
"I'm not teasing you."  
  
"Yes you are! I can tell!"  
  
"Okay, fine," Leo sighed.  
  
"So what about us?"  
  
"You don't give up easily, do you?"  
  
Cassie smiled with her lips shut and shook her head happily.  
  
"Well…actually…"  
  
Blade pulled out a small velvet container from his right pocket. Once he knew he had gotten her attention, he slowly began to open it, revealing a bright, white diamond ring.  
  
"Oh my God…" she whispered.  
  
"Cassie…" Leo began.  
  
"You don't even have to say it!" Cassie shouted back in pure joy. "Yes, YES!"  
  
She jumped into his arms and hugged him so hard he almost started gasping for air. But he hugged her back. The two kissed, and those who could hear what had been going on cheered for the two.  
  
"Don't tell Sonic, okay?" he asked Cassie and the others who knew the blue hedgehog. "I wanna surprise him."  
  
Everyone around him agreed. Leo couldn't see Cassie's face, but the moving he felt on his chest indicated a yes.  
  
"I love you, Leo," she whispered.  
  
"And I do too," chuckled Leo, happily but honestly.  
  
It was a picture perfect ending for both couples.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Back on Earth, though…  
  
Samson, a large, muscular Scottish man cut his way through the forest with his woodland knife. Stupid mission. Boss had told them to check out "an odd, falling object." But anything that fell into this godforsaken place was doomed anyway..  
  
"C'mon, Bert, I'm not waiting for you anymore." Why couldn't they get any of the fun missions of their group, like some of the actual terroristic attacks? But no, they got the grunt work. Secretly, Samson was working on a plan to get a promotion for sure-or take down some of the higher ranks.  
  
"I'm comin' Sam, I'm coming! God, you expect me to go as fast as you when you have me lifting all the equipment?" moaned Bert, a British member, probably the only British guy in all of the Affinity.  
  
"Just speed it up, will you? Sooner we get through this place, sooner we get to go to sleep." It must've been past two in the morning. The moonlight was the only source of light other than Samson's flashlight. He moved another bush to reveal…  
  
"What the hell is that?"  
  
Something was laying there. Some dead animal, covered in blood and motionless, lay on the grass by a lake. It wasn't a wolf, that was for sure. He walked closer to it and saw red streaks other than blood along its body.  
  
Oh man…  
  
"What you lookin' at Sam?" panted Bert, who had just joined him. Then, Bert got wide-eyed. "I know what that thing is, Sam!"  
  
"So do I Bert, so do I. Get the bag. We're taking it with us."  
  
Bert hurriedly opened his backpack and pulled out a large, green sack. Samson picked up the animal, a dark black hedgehog. He knew the story all too well, like many other people. The space colony ARK, Gerald Robotnik, and Sonic the Hedgehog. He knew what this was. And he knew what it could do.  
  
"You, my friend, are going to make me very, very powerful," Samson laughed heartily. 


End file.
